Political Philosophy and Narrative Truth: Fact and Fiction within Hobbes's State of Nature

Volume: 

23

Number: 

1

Published date: 

June, 2019

Authors: 

Fen-Shi Ker

Abstract: 

This thesis aims to completely resolve the controversy which refers to the state of nature between truth and fiction. By going through disputes related to Hobbes's concept of the state of nature, we attempt to point out that the foundation of interpretive controversy is derived from most interpreters applying thoughts on empiricism to understand empirical descriptions within the state of nature. Furthermore, Hobbes's system could resolve the opposition between philosophical fiction and historical truth within the state of nature through reconstructing the "fact" from the perspective of Hobbes's context. Finally, the major purpose of this thesis is to clarify the relationship between political philosophy and narrative theory. In my opinion, the function of the state of nature is to transform empirical phenomena into a web of meaning. Hobbes consequently enlarged the empirical range and practical sense within political philosophy with narrative theory approaching a contemporary theoretical perspective.

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