Leviathan on a Leash
eBook - ePub

Leviathan on a Leash

A Theory of State Responsibility

  1. 224 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Leviathan on a Leash

A Theory of State Responsibility

About this book

New perspectives on the role of collective responsibility in modern politics

States are commonly blamed for wars, called on to apologize, held liable for debts and reparations, bound by treaties, and punished with sanctions. But what does it mean to hold a state responsible as opposed to a government, a nation, or an individual leader? Under what circumstances should we assign responsibility to states rather than individuals? Leviathan on a Leash demystifies the phenomenon of state responsibility and explains why it is a challenging yet indispensable part of modern politics.

Taking Thomas Hobbes' theory of the state as his starting point, Sean Fleming presents a theory of state responsibility that sheds new light on sovereign debt, historical reparations, treaty obligations, and economic sanctions. Along the way, he overturns longstanding interpretations of Hobbes' political thought, explores how new technologies will alter the practice of state responsibility as we know it, and develops new accounts of political authority, representation, and legitimacy. He argues that Hobbes' idea of the state offers a far richer and more realistic conception of state responsibility than the theories prevalent today, and demonstrates that Hobbes' Leviathan is much more than an anthropomorphic "artificial man."

Leviathan on a Leash is essential reading for political theorists, scholars of international relations, international lawyers, and philosophers. This groundbreaking book recovers a forgotten understanding of state personality in Hobbes' thought and shows how to apply it to the world of imperfect states in which we live.

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Yes, you can access Leviathan on a Leash by Sean Fleming in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Ethics & Moral Philosophy. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Abbreviations of Hobbes’ Works
  8. Introduction: State Responsibility and Corporate Personality
  9. 1. The Agential and Functional Theories of State Responsibility
  10. 2. Hobbes and the Personality of the State
  11. 3. Attribution: The Question of Ownership
  12. 4. Succession: The Question of Identity
  13. 5. Distribution: The Question of Fulfilment
  14. Conclusion: The Future of State Responsibility
  15. Bibliography
  16. Index