Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
"Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes is a philosophical treatise published in 1651. Written during the English Civil War, it explores the structure of society and legitimate government through social contract theory. Hobbes argues that humanity's natural state is a brutal "war of all against all," driven by individual appetites and the fear of violent death. Only a strong, absolute sovereign can prevent civil war and chaos by uniting both secular and spiritual power.
This influential work presents a materialistic view of human nature and political order. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 |
|---|---|
| Title | Leviathan |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Hobbes_book) |
| Credits | Edward White and David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 49.6 (College-level). Difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | JC: Political science: Political theory |
| Subject | Political science -- Early works to 1800 |
| Subject | State, The -- Early works to 1800 |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 3207 |
| Release Date | May 1, 2002 |
| Most Recently Updated | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 27358 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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