Leviathan cover

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

Original en 211937 words First published 1651 England

Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, published in 1651 in the aftermath of the English Civil War, is the founding text of modern political philosophy. Its argument is stark: out of the state of nature — where life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short' — men covenant to surrender their natural rights to an absolute sovereign, the Leviathan, whose power alone holds off the war of all against all. Written with the force and clarity of a man who had watched society dissolve, it set the terms of every later debate about authority, obligation and the social contract. This edition uses the 1909 Everyman text.

Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.

Table of Contents

  1. 001 THE INTRODUCTION Nature (the art whereby God hath made and governes… 2702 words
  2. 002 And seeing dreames are caused by the distemper of some of the inward… 2574 words
  3. 003 There is no other act of mans mind, that I can remember, naturally… 2639 words
  4. 004 First, a thing may enter into account for Matter, or Body; as Living… 2526 words
  5. 005 The sixth, to the use of Metaphors, Tropes, and other Rhetoricall… 2506 words
  6. 006 Hope-- For Appetite with an opinion of attaining, is called HOPE. 2544 words
  7. 007 Science Opinion Conscience And therefore, when the Discourse is put… 2634 words
  8. 008 Whereof there be almost as many kinds, as of the Passions themselves. 2506 words
  9. 009 There are of KNOWLEDGE two kinds; whereof one is Knowledge Of Fact… 2602 words
  10. 010 Also amongst men, till there were constituted great Common-wealths… 2502 words
  11. 011 Confidence In Others From Ignorance Of The Marks Of Wisdome and… 2506 words
  12. 012 But Honour Them As They Honour Men Thirdly, for the worship which… 2572 words
  13. 013 That which taketh away the reputation of Love, is the being detected… 2630 words
  14. 014 The Passions That Incline Men To Peace The Passions that encline men… 2589 words
  15. 015 Covenants Of Mutuall Trust, When Invalid If a Covenant be made… 2709 words
  16. 016 For the question is not of promises mutuall, where there is no… 2520 words
  17. 017 The Tenth Against Arrogance On this law, dependeth another, "That at… 2539 words
  18. 018 Things Personated, Inanimate There are few things, that are uncapable… 2502 words
  19. 019 The Definition Of A Common-wealth And in him consisteth the Essence… 2509 words
  20. 020 11. And Of Rewarding, And Punishing, And That (Where No Former Law… 2646 words
  21. 021 Sixtly, that it is an inconvenience in Monarchie, that the… 2603 words
  22. 022 CHAPTER XX. OF DOMINION PATERNALL AND DESPOTICALL A Common-wealth by… 2716 words
  23. 023 To these places may be added also that of Genesis, (Gen. 2739 words
  24. 024 Liberty Of The Subject How To Be Measured To come now to the… 2550 words
  25. 025 The bounds of that Power, which is given to the Representative of a… 2563 words
  26. 026 If the Common-wealth impose a Tax upon the Body, it is understood to… 2575 words
  27. 027 And in both these controversies, there may arise a controversie… 2585 words
  28. 028 Mony The Bloud Of A Common-wealth By Concoction, I understand the… 2738 words
  29. 029 Fourthly, to be able to give Counsell to a Common-wealth, in a… 2577 words
  30. 030 7. That Law can never be against Reason, our Lawyers are agreed; and… 3163 words
  31. 031 In like manner, when question is of the Meaning of written Lawes, he… 2764 words
  32. 032 Another Division Of Lawes There is also another distinction of Laws… 2673 words
  33. 033 And generally all vain-glorious men, (unlesse they be withall… 2538 words
  34. 034 Comparison Of Crimes From Their Effects Again, if we compare Crimes… 2628 words
  35. 035 Ignominy Ignominy, is the infliction of such Evill, as is made… 2596 words
  36. 036 Pretence Of Inspiration It hath been also commonly taught, "That… 2553 words
  37. 037 Popular Men Also, the Popularity of a potent Subject, (unlesse the… 2504 words
  38. 038 And To Honour Their Parents And because the first instruction of… 2652 words
  39. 039 Rewards In like manner it belongeth to the Office, and Duty of the… 2542 words
  40. 040 Sinne Not The Cause Of All Affliction This question, "Why Evill men… 2550 words
  41. 041 All Attributes Depend On The Lawes Civill And because words (and… 2607 words
  42. 042 Miracles Ceasing, Prophets Cease, The Scripture Supplies Their Place… 2761 words
  43. 043 The New Testament The Writers of the New Testament lived all in lesse… 2564 words
  44. 044 Spirit Of God Taken In The Scripture Sometimes For A Wind, Or Breath Gen. 3052 words
  45. 045 There be divers other places out of which may be drawn the like conclusion. 2699 words
  46. 046 There be so many other places that confirm this interpretation, that… 2663 words
  47. 047 Thirdly, For The Words Of Reason And Equity There are also places of… 2694 words
  48. 048 And as these ways cannot be applyed to God, in his speaking to Moses… 2549 words
  49. 049 The first Rainbow that was seen in the world, was a Miracle, because… 2638 words
  50. 050 CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF ETERNALL LIFE… 2573 words
  51. 051 Bis patet in præceps, tantem tendítque sub umbras, Quantus ad… 3100 words
  52. 052 From this that hath been said of the Kingdom of God, and of… 2634 words
  53. 053 Moses Was (Under God) Soveraign Of The Jews, All His Own Time, Though… 2657 words
  54. 054 And afterwards when they demanded a King, after the manner of the… 2734 words
  55. 055 Christs Authority In The Kingdome Of God Subordinate To His Father… 2540 words
  56. 056 From The Comparison Of It, With Fishing, Leaven, Seed And is compared… 2606 words
  57. 057 And To Forgive, And Retain Sinnes The Power of Remission, And… 2688 words
  58. 058 If a mans Father, or Mother, or Master bee Excommunicate, yet are not… 2681 words
  59. 059 The Old Testament, When Made Canonicall From whence we may inferre… 2680 words
  60. 060 What Offices In The Church Are Magisteriall Bishop, a word formed in… 2591 words
  61. 061 After our Saviours Ascension, the Christians of every City lived in Common, (Acts 4. 2614 words
  62. 062 And so much was this ceremony observed, that in blessing the whole… 2534 words
  63. 063 It is evident that the Prophets of the Old Testament foretold, and… 2664 words
  64. 064 The fift place is Acts 15.28. 2538 words
  65. 065 The second argument, is from the nature of Monarchy; wherein all… 2549 words
  66. 066 That a Common-wealth, to defend it selfe against injuries, may… 2619 words
  67. 067 And To What Laws But what Commandements are those that God hath given us? 2535 words
  68. 068 From That It Is The Foundation Of All Other Articles The last… 2644 words
  69. 069 PART IV. OF THE KINGDOME OF DARKNESSE CHAPTER XLIV. OF SPIRITUALL… 2829 words
  70. 070 Incantation In The Ceremonies Of Baptisme The like incantation, in… 2576 words
  71. 071 The Manner Of Consecrations In The Scripture, Was Without Exorcisms… 2541 words
  72. 072 Places Of The New Testament For Purgatory Answered But he alledgeth… 2622 words
  73. 073 This nature of Sight having never been discovered by the ancient… 2713 words
  74. 074 Answer To Certain Seeming Texts For Images The places of Scripture… 2581 words
  75. 075 Scandalous Worship Of Images Besides the Idolatrous Worship of… 2678 words
  76. 076 CHAPTER XLVI. OF DARKNESSE FROM VAIN PHILOSOPHY, AND FABULOUS… 2537 words
  77. 077 To know now upon what grounds they say there be Essences Abstract, or… 2616 words
  78. 078 And That Lawfull Marriage Is Unchastity It is also Vain and false… 2582 words
  79. 079 After that certain Churches had renounced this universall Power of… 2535 words
  80. 080 The fairies are not to be seized on; and brought to answer for the hurt they do. 2651 words
  81. 081 First, where the Levites fell upon the People, that had made and… 1802 words