The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11)

The volume gathers political and legal writings that probe how reason underpins law, debates the limits of judicial authority versus statute, and considers the social causes and progression of civil war. It offers a historical analysis of political breakdown and factional conflict, followed by extended treatments of rhetoric and sophistry that set out rules for persuasive speech, examples of rhetorical figures, and methods to detect fallacious argument. Across dialogues and treatises, the pieces combine practical guidance for legal and rhetorical practice with philosophical reflection on authority, obedience, and the public uses of persuasion.