Talking Wolves advances an analysis of Hobbes which takes language seriously (as seriously as Hobbes took it). It presents a reading of Hobbes's view of society at large, and political society in particular, through a comprehensive discussion based on, and intimately linked to, his philosophy of language. This philosophy, in turn, is seen in a new light as being a pragmatic theory of language in use, language in action.

Inhalt
I: Language.- 1: Human Voices: Semantics and Beyond.- 2: Use and Effect: Speech as Use.- 3: Speech Useful: A Theory of Language Use.- II: The Language of Politics.- 4: Conversation of Mankind: The Meaning of Moral Concepts.- 5: Everyman's Will: Speech Acts.- 6: A Common Language: Natural, Social and Linguistic.- III: The Politics of Language.- 7: Policy Ecclesiasticall: Religious Interpretation.- 8: Eloquence Is Power: The Office of Rhetoric.- Conclusion.- Appendix: Pragmatics.