Freedom is the ability to go to the end of its power

HOBBES

And the Republican conception of freedom

by Quentin Skinner

Albin Michel, "Library of ideas", 238 pages, EUR 25.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN POLICY THINKING

by Quentin Skinner

Albin Michel, library of the evolution of l’humanité, 922 pages, EUR 25.

Quentin Skinner is one of the leaders of the historical School of Cambridge. Its program "Contextualize", that is to replace the major texts of philosophy policy in the historical context of their birth. The result is an extraordinarily lively history of ideas. Is today a beautiful translation of his Hobbes, a delight to attend the progressive development of the political thinking of Hobbes in the context, also troubled that risky, of the English revolution. She is accompanied by the edition of poche of the ledger that Quentin Skinner was devoted to the history of political philosophy in Middle Age Europe to the wars of Religion.

The history of the freedom is in Europe, inseparable from that of the State. Because freedom there is first reflected not so much as a property of human nature as a mode of existence in relation to the power policy. In its modern version, the freedom was first a slope urban and Italian, the thought of freedoms marrying the efforts of major Italian cities to escape imperial or Vatican tutelles. But is needed as soon as the idea that life in the liberated towns will be unbearable once there prevail the disorder, discord and civil war. Is posed a still current equation: freedom is a property in peace, that peace that requires power, authority and... the libertés restriction.

The need for a strong power

In Italian cities, whose growth is accompanied by the rise of the merchant bourgeoisie, the question will give rise to the debate on a Republican Constitution, which would preserve the tyranny of a family (that of the Medici in Florence for example), debate which will feed the humanistic research on Athenian democracy and the Roman Republic. In France or England, face to the monarchy, the claim of freedom will be worn by the nobility claiming the maintenance of its status as free men, with its inherited rights.

It is in this context that appears the Hobbesian, his cynicism Paradox or, as it wants, his lucidity. In appearance, Hobbes argues for the virtues of absolutism: any peace is better than the civil war. In reality, he explained that, if we take the point of view of freedom, whatever the form of the State, Republican or monarchist. In all cases, must be obeyed, it participated in the development of the law not detract. Hobbes was a physicist of freedom vision. Freedom, is the ability to go to the end of its power. Opposed to freedom is never another power, what is called the public force. With this that man has the ability to anticipate the consequences of the use of force - is the fear or fear that led man to adjust his conduct.

Hobbes wrote in the 17th century. His vision is yet very close to ours: it is that on which any contemporary economy of incentives is built. It also says that power will naturally to its limits if it does not compel. What argues not for codes of conduct and other self-regulation.