Devin Stauffer
Biographic Data
| ID | 3627934 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Devin Stauffer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Devin |
| FAMILY NAME | Stauffer |
| SIGNATURE | STAUFFER D |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at Austin |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 20 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Some Remarks on Strauss’s Correspondence in the 1930s
From Laslett to Waldmann
The denial of Locke's debt to Hobbes has long been characteristic of many scholars of Locke influenced by the Cambridge School. Peter Laslett was the first to argue for this view, and he did so in conscious opposition to Leo Strauss and his interpretation of Locke. The recent discovery by Felix Waldmann of a memoir that confirms Locke's deep interest in Hobbes as well as his prudent concealment of that interest has undermined Laslett's case again…
Chapter Three. Religion and Theology I
This chapter examines the main features of Hobbes’s natural philosophy as they come to sight not only but above all in De Corpore. Hobbes’s natural philosophy is a thoroughgoing effort to understand nature in mechanistic and materialistic terms, that is, as consisting only of matter and its various motions. This chapter explains what mechanistic materialism means as it was conceived of by Hobbes, and it explores the problems that caused Hobbes to…
Chapter Four. Religion and Theology II
This chapter considers Hobbes’s treatment of religion in the early chapters of Leviathan, especially in Chapter 12, “Of Religion.” In that chapter, Hobbes presents an account of the psychological “seed” of religion in anxiety and ignorance, an account of God as the mysterious first cause, an analysis of the political differences between pagan religion and biblical religion, and a sketch of the “resolution” of religion back into its first seeds. A…
Chapter One. “Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy”
Hobbes claimed that he was the founder of political philosophy insofar as he claimed to be the first to raise political philosophy to the rank of a genuine science. This introduction sketches the reasons for taking Hobbes’s bold claim seriously and for exploring what he meant by it. Hobbes’s revolutionary project helped to lay the foundations for modern liberalism and modern secularism, the beleaguered states of which today provide an incentive t…
Chapter Two. Hobbes’s Natural Philosophy
This chapter examines Hobbes’s critique of the classical tradition. Although Hobbes directed much of his fire at scholasticism, the key target of his critique was Aristotle, whom he regarded as the most important source of the tradition he opposed. Hobbes’s critique of Aristotle consists of two main lines of argument—one moral-political, the other metaphysical—that ultimately prove to be connected. This chapter examines each line of argument on i…
Chapter Seven. Hobbes’s Political Philosophy II
This chapter takes up the question of the relationship between Hobbes’s political philosophy and his natural philosophy, and it offers a detailed interpretation of his political philosophy. Through an examination of Hobbes’s account of human nature and the passions, his account of morality in the state of nature, and his moral teaching conveyed through his doctrine of the laws of nature, the chapter shows that Hobbes was a moral revolutionary who…
Chapter Five. Religion and Theology III
This chapter discusses Hobbes’s account of “the kingdom of God by nature” in Chapter 31 of Leviathan. Hobbes here develops a new natural theology that contains an implicit critique of traditional natural theology. The chapter considers Hobbes’s arguments about the limits of what human beings can know about God, and it examines Hobbes’s doctrine of God as the first cause and its complex relationship to Hobbes’s mechanistic materialism. The ultimat…
Chapter Six. Hobbes’s Political Philosophy I
What are Hobbes’s aims in the second half of Leviathan, where he most directly engages with the Bible? This chapter argues that Hobbes has two main aims in this understudied section of Leviathan. On the one hand, Hobbes reinterprets the Bible to make it compatible with his own doctrines, especially his political doctrines. On the other hand, he presents a critique of the Bible by revealing the various ways in which its teachings are at odds with …
Hobbes's Kingdom of Light
Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy
The early modern revolution in political philosophy not only transformed political philosophy itself; it also played a crucial role in shaping the character of modern politics. This article contributes to our understanding of that revolution through an examination of Thomas Hobbes's critique of the classical tradition. Although it is well known that Hobbes was a critic of that tradition, the details of his critique have not been sufficiently unco…
Strauss's Discussion of Hobbes in What Is Political Philosophy
Strauss regarded the study of Hobbes as essential to an adequate understanding of modernity and to his effort to reopen the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns. In his discussion of Hobbes in chapter seven of What Is Political Philosophy?, Strauss takes up the question of the relationship between Hobbes's political science and his natural science. Although he argues that Hobbes's political science should not be understood as derivative f…
Of Religion” in Hobbes’sLeviathan
Although Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential works in the early modern critique of traditional Christian political theology, a debate persists over Hobbes’s view of religion. This essay contributes to that debate through a close analysis of the chapter of Leviathan in which Hobbes offers his most direct discussion of religion. In Chapter 12, “Of Religion,” Hobbes presents an account of the psyc…
Thrasymachus’ Attachment to Justice
Thrasymachus is one of the most infamous villains in Plato’s dialogues; but he is not as villainous as he appears to be. Thrasymachus’ attack on justice and his debunking definition of justice are guided by a complex set of concerns, including a desire to expose the fraud that he thinks rulers are perpetrating against the ruled. Thrasymachus thus shows a concern for justice even in his expression of an argument that is regarded as the classic sop…
Reopening the Quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns
Leo Strauss's greatest project was his attempt to resurrect classical political philosophy by reawakening the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns. This essay illuminates Strauss's view of that quarrel by considering a crucial stage in the development of his understanding of the most important differences between ancient and modern political philosophy. Strauss's critique of Hobbes inThe Political Philosophy of Hobbesculminates in a strik…
Unity of Platos Gorgias The
Stauffer demonstrates the complex unity of Plato's Gorgias through a careful analysis of the dialogue's three main sections. This includes Socrates' famous argumentative duel with Callicles, a passionate critic of justice and philosophy, showing how the seemingly disparate themes of rhetoric, justice and the philosophic life are woven together into a coherent whole. His interpretation of the Gorgias sheds new light on Plato's thought, showing tha…
The unity of Plato's Gorgias
Talking Democracy
Talking Democracy: Historical Perspectives on Rhetoric and Democracy. Edited by Benedetto Fontana, Cary J. Nederman, and Gary Remer. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004. 337p. $55.00.This edited volume of eleven chapters draws from sources as diverse as Thucydides, Plato, Cicero, St. Augustine, John of Salisbury, Christine de Pizan, and John Stuart Mill. On the one hand, the volume is intended as a selective but wide-ra…
Socrates and Callicles
The quarrel between Socrates and Callicles has long been recognized as the highpoint of Plato'sGorgias. But the acceptance of an overly simple view of Callicles has kept this quarrel from being understood in its full complexity. While Callicles appears to be a cynical immoralist, this appearance hides his deepest convictions; and while he and Socrates never come to a genuine meeting of the minds, the unbridgeable gap between them is due to Callic…
The Challenge of Plato's Menexenus
Only recently have students of political theory begun to pay attention to Plato'sMenexenus, and it deserves this closer study. In this article, it is argued that the dialogue is best read as Plato's at least quasi—serious critique of Pericle' famous Funeral Oration, and that a comparison of these two works leads to a paradoxical discovery. For by presenting Socrates in theMenexenusas a defender of a restrained and traditional politics against the…
Of Religion” in Hobbes’sLeviathan
Although Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential works in the early modern critique of traditional Christian political theology, a debate persists over Hobbes’s view of religion. This essay contributes to that debate through a close analysis of the chapter of Leviathan in which Hobbes offers his most direct discussion of religion. In Chapter 12, “Of Religion,” Hobbes presents an account of the psyc…
The Challenge of Plato's Menexenus
Only recently have students of political theory begun to pay attention to Plato'sMenexenus, and it deserves this closer study. In this article, it is argued that the dialogue is best read as Plato's at least quasi—serious critique of Pericle' famous Funeral Oration, and that a comparison of these two works leads to a paradoxical discovery. For by presenting Socrates in theMenexenusas a defender of a restrained and traditional politics against the…
Reopening the Quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns
Leo Strauss's greatest project was his attempt to resurrect classical political philosophy by reawakening the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns. This essay illuminates Strauss's view of that quarrel by considering a crucial stage in the development of his understanding of the most important differences between ancient and modern political philosophy. Strauss's critique of Hobbes inThe Political Philosophy of Hobbesculminates in a strik…
Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy
The early modern revolution in political philosophy not only transformed political philosophy itself; it also played a crucial role in shaping the character of modern politics. This article contributes to our understanding of that revolution through an examination of Thomas Hobbes's critique of the classical tradition. Although it is well known that Hobbes was a critic of that tradition, the details of his critique have not been sufficiently unco…
Talking Democracy
Talking Democracy: Historical Perspectives on Rhetoric and Democracy. Edited by Benedetto Fontana, Cary J. Nederman, and Gary Remer. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004. 337p. $55.00.This edited volume of eleven chapters draws from sources as diverse as Thucydides, Plato, Cicero, St. Augustine, John of Salisbury, Christine de Pizan, and John Stuart Mill. On the one hand, the volume is intended as a selective but wide-ra…
Thrasymachus’ Attachment to Justice
Thrasymachus is one of the most infamous villains in Plato’s dialogues; but he is not as villainous as he appears to be. Thrasymachus’ attack on justice and his debunking definition of justice are guided by a complex set of concerns, including a desire to expose the fraud that he thinks rulers are perpetrating against the ruled. Thrasymachus thus shows a concern for justice even in his expression of an argument that is regarded as the classic sop…
Socrates and Callicles
The quarrel between Socrates and Callicles has long been recognized as the highpoint of Plato'sGorgias. But the acceptance of an overly simple view of Callicles has kept this quarrel from being understood in its full complexity. While Callicles appears to be a cynical immoralist, this appearance hides his deepest convictions; and while he and Socrates never come to a genuine meeting of the minds, the unbridgeable gap between them is due to Callic…
The Challenge of Plato's Menexenus
Only recently have students of political theory begun to pay attention to Plato'sMenexenus, and it deserves this closer study. In this article, it is argued that the dialogue is best read as Plato's at least quasi—serious critique of Pericle' famous Funeral Oration, and that a comparison of these two works leads to a paradoxical discovery. For by presenting Socrates in theMenexenusas a defender of a restrained and traditional politics against the…
Socrates and Callicles
The quarrel between Socrates and Callicles has long been recognized as the highpoint of Plato'sGorgias. But the acceptance of an overly simple view of Callicles has kept this quarrel from being understood in its full complexity. While Callicles appears to be a cynical immoralist, this appearance hides his deepest convictions; and while he and Socrates never come to a genuine meeting of the minds, the unbridgeable gap between them is due to Callic…
Talking Democracy
Talking Democracy: Historical Perspectives on Rhetoric and Democracy. Edited by Benedetto Fontana, Cary J. Nederman, and Gary Remer. University Park: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2004. 337p. $55.00.This edited volume of eleven chapters draws from sources as diverse as Thucydides, Plato, Cicero, St. Augustine, John of Salisbury, Christine de Pizan, and John Stuart Mill. On the one hand, the volume is intended as a selective but wide-ra…
Unity of Platos Gorgias The
Stauffer demonstrates the complex unity of Plato's Gorgias through a careful analysis of the dialogue's three main sections. This includes Socrates' famous argumentative duel with Callicles, a passionate critic of justice and philosophy, showing how the seemingly disparate themes of rhetoric, justice and the philosophic life are woven together into a coherent whole. His interpretation of the Gorgias sheds new light on Plato's thought, showing tha…
The unity of Plato's Gorgias
Reopening the Quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns
Leo Strauss's greatest project was his attempt to resurrect classical political philosophy by reawakening the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns. This essay illuminates Strauss's view of that quarrel by considering a crucial stage in the development of his understanding of the most important differences between ancient and modern political philosophy. Strauss's critique of Hobbes inThe Political Philosophy of Hobbesculminates in a strik…
Thrasymachus’ Attachment to Justice
Thrasymachus is one of the most infamous villains in Plato’s dialogues; but he is not as villainous as he appears to be. Thrasymachus’ attack on justice and his debunking definition of justice are guided by a complex set of concerns, including a desire to expose the fraud that he thinks rulers are perpetrating against the ruled. Thrasymachus thus shows a concern for justice even in his expression of an argument that is regarded as the classic sop…
Strauss's Discussion of Hobbes in What Is Political Philosophy
Strauss regarded the study of Hobbes as essential to an adequate understanding of modernity and to his effort to reopen the quarrel between the ancients and the moderns. In his discussion of Hobbes in chapter seven of What Is Political Philosophy?, Strauss takes up the question of the relationship between Hobbes's political science and his natural science. Although he argues that Hobbes's political science should not be understood as derivative f…
Of Religion” in Hobbes’sLeviathan
Although Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential works in the early modern critique of traditional Christian political theology, a debate persists over Hobbes’s view of religion. This essay contributes to that debate through a close analysis of the chapter of Leviathan in which Hobbes offers his most direct discussion of religion. In Chapter 12, “Of Religion,” Hobbes presents an account of the psyc…
Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy
The early modern revolution in political philosophy not only transformed political philosophy itself; it also played a crucial role in shaping the character of modern politics. This article contributes to our understanding of that revolution through an examination of Thomas Hobbes's critique of the classical tradition. Although it is well known that Hobbes was a critic of that tradition, the details of his critique have not been sufficiently unco…
Chapter Three. Religion and Theology I
This chapter examines the main features of Hobbes’s natural philosophy as they come to sight not only but above all in De Corpore. Hobbes’s natural philosophy is a thoroughgoing effort to understand nature in mechanistic and materialistic terms, that is, as consisting only of matter and its various motions. This chapter explains what mechanistic materialism means as it was conceived of by Hobbes, and it explores the problems that caused Hobbes to…
Chapter Four. Religion and Theology II
This chapter considers Hobbes’s treatment of religion in the early chapters of Leviathan, especially in Chapter 12, “Of Religion.” In that chapter, Hobbes presents an account of the psychological “seed” of religion in anxiety and ignorance, an account of God as the mysterious first cause, an analysis of the political differences between pagan religion and biblical religion, and a sketch of the “resolution” of religion back into its first seeds. A…
Chapter One. “Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy”
Hobbes claimed that he was the founder of political philosophy insofar as he claimed to be the first to raise political philosophy to the rank of a genuine science. This introduction sketches the reasons for taking Hobbes’s bold claim seriously and for exploring what he meant by it. Hobbes’s revolutionary project helped to lay the foundations for modern liberalism and modern secularism, the beleaguered states of which today provide an incentive t…
Chapter Two. Hobbes’s Natural Philosophy
This chapter examines Hobbes’s critique of the classical tradition. Although Hobbes directed much of his fire at scholasticism, the key target of his critique was Aristotle, whom he regarded as the most important source of the tradition he opposed. Hobbes’s critique of Aristotle consists of two main lines of argument—one moral-political, the other metaphysical—that ultimately prove to be connected. This chapter examines each line of argument on i…
Chapter Seven. Hobbes’s Political Philosophy II
This chapter takes up the question of the relationship between Hobbes’s political philosophy and his natural philosophy, and it offers a detailed interpretation of his political philosophy. Through an examination of Hobbes’s account of human nature and the passions, his account of morality in the state of nature, and his moral teaching conveyed through his doctrine of the laws of nature, the chapter shows that Hobbes was a moral revolutionary who…
Chapter Five. Religion and Theology III
This chapter discusses Hobbes’s account of “the kingdom of God by nature” in Chapter 31 of Leviathan. Hobbes here develops a new natural theology that contains an implicit critique of traditional natural theology. The chapter considers Hobbes’s arguments about the limits of what human beings can know about God, and it examines Hobbes’s doctrine of God as the first cause and its complex relationship to Hobbes’s mechanistic materialism. The ultimat…
Chapter Six. Hobbes’s Political Philosophy I
What are Hobbes’s aims in the second half of Leviathan, where he most directly engages with the Bible? This chapter argues that Hobbes has two main aims in this understudied section of Leviathan. On the one hand, Hobbes reinterprets the Bible to make it compatible with his own doctrines, especially his political doctrines. On the other hand, he presents a critique of the Bible by revealing the various ways in which its teachings are at odds with …
Hobbes's Kingdom of Light
From Laslett to Waldmann
The denial of Locke's debt to Hobbes has long been characteristic of many scholars of Locke influenced by the Cambridge School. Peter Laslett was the first to argue for this view, and he did so in conscious opposition to Leo Strauss and his interpretation of Locke. The recent discovery by Felix Waldmann of a memoir that confirms Locke's deep interest in Hobbes as well as his prudent concealment of that interest has undermined Laslett's case again…
Some Remarks on Strauss’s Correspondence in the 1930s
Philosophy (18 works) · Epistemology (17 works) · Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought (16 works) · Law (14 works) · Political science (14 works) · Politics (13 works) · Philosophy (9 works) · Law (7 works) · Medieval and Classical Philosophy (7 works) · Political philosophy (7 works)