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Notes -
I've read Leviathan granted that was something like 15 years ago now, but I've read it. I've also read a number of Hobbes' contemporaries.
Hobbes is pretty explicit about his book being a response to the recent social and political upheaval, that is the 30 Years War on the continent, and the outbreak of the English Civil War on the British Isles. Specifically why did it happen, and how can such strife be avoided in the future. You in contrast have stated, on multiple occasions, a desire to return to those days when widespread political and religious violence were the norm. In short I expect you to have a rather skewed reading of Hobbes given that your goals and priors are 180 degrees apart from each other.
Yes, Hobbes effectively invented, or at the very least codified and popularized the concept of judicial review. That is merely one of the reasons that his regarded by many as the father of modern political science. And?...
Hobbes being an advocate for judicial review doesn't contradict anything I've said above, if anything it supports it. Part of avoiding sectarian violence/ensuring political stability is making sure that there are means of conflict resolution other than "the losers gets the bullet" that all of the factions involved can agree to. Part of Hobbes' thesis is that Hierarchies imposed from above don't survive, that they require buy-in from the plebs. It's not the crown the makes a man a king, it's the willingness of other men to die for him. Those at the top are as much if not more beholden to those below as those below are to those above.
Likewise you say "Hobbes conceives of rebellion as merely the state of war renewed" and I say "Yes, No shit", or in Hobbes framework a return to the state that the entire raison d'etre of civilization is to escape from. In other words that's a condemnation of rebellion, not an endorsement.
You say that you've "drunk deep of that well" but I got to ask "Which well"? Hobbes', or your Marxist Poli-Sci professor's?
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