Behemoth latinus: Adam Ebert, Tacitism, and Hobbes ; Behemoth latinus: Adam Ebert, tacitizem in Hobbes

Abstract

This article investigates the history and significance of the Latin translation of Hobbes's Behemoth which was prepared in 1708 by Adam Ebert (b. 1653-7; d. 1735) and deposited by him in the King of Prussia's library. Ebert's special interest in Hobbes was based partly on having met him in London in 1678; but it also grew out of his wider interest in 'reason of state' and a Tacitist theory of political action. Such wider interests led also to a fascination with Cromwell, and Ebert even tried to present Behemoth as a celebration of Cromwell's political skills. This article considers Ebert as a late representative of the Tacitist tradition, and argues that although Ebert's reading of Hobbes was responding to some elements genuinely present in Hobbes's political thought, Hobbes nevertheless went beyond Tacitism to reach a very different view of politics and government. ; Članek preučuje zgodovino in pomen latinskega prevoda Hobbesovega Behemotha, ki gaje leta 1708 pripravil Adam Ebert (1653-1735) in shranil v knjižnici pruskega kralja. Ebertaje Hobbes posebno zanimal deloma zato, ker gaje leta 1678 srečal v Londonu, vendar tudi zato, ker je veliko razmišljal o "raggione di stato" in tacitovski teoriji političnega delovanja. Ti njegovi širši interesi so spodbudili tudi občudovanje Cromwella, tako daje Ebert celo hotel prikazati Behemoth kot slavljenje Cromwellovih političnih veščin. Avtor obravnava Eberta kot poznega predstavnika tacitistične tradicije in argumentira, daje Hobbes - četudi je Ebertovo branje Hobbesa bilo v sozvočju z nekaterimi elementi, ki so v Hobbesovi politični misli resnično prisotni - presegel tacitizem in formuliral zelo drugačen pogled na politiko in oblast.