Machiavelli saw himself as a realist, someone who recognized that people are fundamentally selfish. Thomas Hobbes shared that view: it underpins his whole account of how he thought society ought to be structured.
What does the bold sentence mean?
I understand it like this: It serves as a basis for explaining how he thought society should be structured.
Is it correct?
Thanks!
XVI I understand it like this: It serves as a basis for explaining how he thought society should be structured. This is roughly correct, but, compared to the original, it sounds rather more as if we are talking about how someone else might explain his theories, as opposed to how he himself formulated them. I think this is a slightly better paraphrase: It serves as a basis for his explanation of how he thought society should be structured.
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XVII understand it like this: It serves as a basis for explaining how he thought society should be structured.
This is roughly correct, but, compared to the original, it sounds rather more as if we are talking about how someone else might explain his theories, as opposed to how he himself formulated them. I think this is a slightly better paraphrase: