ABSTRACT
How might Hobbes respond to terrorism? To answer this question I will first consider what terrorism is. Rather than construct a narrow definition, I will opt for a broader understanding which encompasses the variety of terrorist phenomena. Next, I will consider several options for what might count as a Hobbesian response to terrorism. I will argue that a few obvious answers, such as “Whatever the sovereign wants” and “force and threats” are not adequate. Instead we should look to Hobbes’s general account of threats to the state and how sovereigns should respond to them. I will argue that a Hobbesian response to terrorism is comprehensive, stresses prevention, employs both hard and soft power, and its policies are designed to reinforce each other. Although it suffers from the sorts of problems critics often attribute to Hobbes, it also has important virtues we might learn from.
