Works: Mr. Hobb's State of Nature Considered: in a Dialogue Between Philatus and Timothy

Works: Mr. Hobb's State Of Nature Considered: In A Dialogue Between Philatus And Timothy by John Eachard is a satirical polemic defending civil order against Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan. Structured as a lively dialogue, it pits Philautus and Timothy against one another as they debate whether humans are naturally at war or naturally sociable, and whether rights arise from covenants or force. Through mock-legal reasoning, witty banter, and extended exchanges, the work critiques Hobbes's state of nature, his notions of law, power, and self-preservation, and treats civilization’s foundations—property, government, and religion—as products of social institutions. The volume also embeds prefatory material and letters from patrons, illustrating its polemical, reforming aims. Across the exchanges, Eachard argues that peace and public virtue spring from legitimate authority and covenant rather than from an abstract, perpetual war of all against all. The book thus articulates a defense of church and civil society against radical contractualist theories.