Hobbes and the Problem of International Trade

In this chapter Mikko Jakonen emphasises the importance of economy in Hobbes’ theory of international relations. Economy was a crucial issue for Hobbes’ political theory. Yet, economic activity is not situated solely in the domestic sphere. For Hobbes, the different phenomena involved in international economics, such as free trade, trade corporations, monopolies, and colonies, all raised the question of how the sovereign could regulate international economic activity.