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Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes

Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679

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"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. ... Read more

About this eBook

AuthorHobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679
TitleLeviathan
NoteWikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Hobbes_book)
CreditsEdward White and David Widger
Reading LevelReading ease score: 49.6 (College-level). Difficult to read.
LanguageEnglish
LoC ClassJC: Political science: Political theory
SubjectState, The -- Early works to 1800
CategoryText
eBook-No.3207
ISBN (HTML)979-8-238-03207-8
Release DateMay 1, 2002
Last UpdateSep 17, 2025
CopyrightPublic domain in the USA.
Downloads37071 downloads in the last 30 days.

Original page: gutenberg.org/ebooks/3207