Crucial Evidence

Luciano Venezia (1)

1 CESPRA - Centre d'Etudes Sociologiques et Politiques Raymond Aron

The author introduces the notions of crucial argument and crucial evidence in the philosophy of intellectual history (broadly construed, including the history of political thought). He will use these concepts and take sides in an important controversy in Hobbes studies, namely whether Hobbes holds a prudential or a deontological theory of contractual obligation. Though there is textual evidence for both readings, he will argue that there is especially relevant evidence - crucial evidence - for interpreting Hobbes's account in a deontological fashion.

Mots clés: Underdetermination of interpretation; Crucial evidence; Hobbes; Contractual Obligation

Domaines: Science politique; Philosophie

Luciano Venezia. Crucial Evidence. Journal of the History of Philosophy, 2013, 7 (1), pp.106-135. ⟨halshs-00865086⟩