Thomas Hobbes as Philosopher, Publicist and Man of Letters

What it is

This is a book by George Edward Gordon Catlin studying Hobbes as a philosopher, publicist and man of letters. The copy shown has a plain tan library cover with old catalogue markings from its holding library.

Why it matters

Books like this show how later scholars have tried to understand Hobbes's ideas and place him in the history of political thought and literature, long after his own lifetime.

Look closer

• Why does the author spend time discussing what the phrase 'man of letters' means before discussing Hobbes himself?
• What does the library stamp and call number on the cover tell you about how this book has been preserved and used?
• How might a modern reader's view of Hobbes differ from Catlin's early twentieth-century view?