Leviathan (Books I and II) by HOBBES, Thomas
by LibriVox
January 1, 1970 10:00 am
Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, commonly called Leviathan, is a book written in 1651 by Thomas Hobbes. It is titled after the biblical Leviathan. The book concerns the structure of society (as represented figuratively by the frontispiece, showing the state giant made up of individuals), as is evidenced by the full title. In the book, Thomas Hobbes argues for a social contract and rule by a sovereign. Influenced by the English Civil War, Hobbes wrote that chaos or civil war – situations identified with a state of nature and the famous motto Bellum omnium contra omnes (“the war of all against all”) – could only be averted by strong central government. He thus denied any right of rebellion toward the social contract. However, Hobbes did discuss the possible dissolution of the State. Since the social contract was made to institute a state that would provide for the “peace and defense” of the people, the contract would become void as soon as the government no longer protected its citizens. By virtue of this fact, man would automatically return to the state of nature until a new contract is made. Summary from Wikipedia.
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Introduction
56 years agoI - Of Sense
56 years agoII - Of Imagination
56 years agoIII - Of the Consequence or Train of Imaginations
56 years agoIV - Of Speech
56 years agoV - Of Reason and Science
56 years agoVI - Of the Interior Beginnings of Voluntary Motions, Commonly Called the Passions; and the Speeches by Which They are Expressed
56 years agoVII - Of the Ends or Resolutions of Discourse
56 years agoVIII - Of the Virtues Commonly Called Intellectual; and Their Contrary Defects
56 years agoIX - Of the Several Subjects of Knowledge
56 years ago