The Leviathan
A foundational text articulating the social contract theory and absolute sovereignty.
Summary of 7 Key Points
Key Points
- The State of Nature and the War of All Against All
- The Necessity of a Social Contract
- The Absolute Sovereign
- Leviathan as a Metaphor for the State
- The Relationship Between Religion and State
- The Rights of the Sovereign
- The Mechanics of Political Power
key point 1 of 7
The State of Nature and the War of All Against All
The concept of the State of Nature, as described, refers to a hypothetical condition of humanity before the establishment of government and societies. In this natural state, individuals possess complete freedom and equality, but this absence of authority and laws leads to a state of perpetual fear and insecurity. The absence of a common power to keep people in awe means that everyone has the natural right to do anything to preserve their own liberty and safety, including harming others if necessary. This condition reflects a certain pessimism about human nature, suggesting that without the constraints of civil society, life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short…Read&Listen More
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The Necessity of a Social Contract
In the philosophy presented in ‘The Leviathan’, the concept of the social contract is rooted in the understanding of human nature and the state of nature. The state of nature is described as a pre-political condition, where life is characterized as ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.’ Without any common authority to enforce laws and settle disputes, everyone has a right to everything, leading to a constant state of war, where individuals live in perpetual fear of death and their lives are consumed by the efforts of self-preservation…Read&Listen More
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The Absolute Sovereign
The perspective on the Absolute Sovereign in The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes asserts that in the absence of political order, human life would be ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,’ due to the inherent nature of humans to compete for resources. To escape this state of constant war, individuals come together to form a commonwealth. This collective unity is established through a social contract, where people consent to surrender their natural freedoms in exchange for the protection of their lives and property. The instrument of this agreement is the sovereign, a single ruler or assembly vested with absolute authority to enforce the social contract and maintain peace and security within the commonwealth…Read&Listen More
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Leviathan as a Metaphor for the State
The Leviathan is a biblical sea monster, an immense creature symbolizing an overwhelming power, which Thomas Hobbes employs as a metaphor for the state in his work. Hobbes’s use of this metaphor is designed to convey the enormity and invincibility of the commonwealth when it is granted absolute authority. The Leviathan represents the idea of a sovereign power that is so great that it dwarfs individual power, much like the mythical beast would dwarf any human…Read&Listen More
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The Relationship Between Religion and State
In ‘The Leviathan’, the relationship between religion and state is discussed as intertwined, with the state wielding significant control over religious affairs. Thomas Hobbes argues that in the natural state, humans are in constant fear and threat from one another. To escape this state of perpetual war, individuals surrender their rights to a sovereign authority, the Leviathan, which imposes order and peace. The sovereign, endowed with supreme power, not only governs civil matters but also dominates the religious sphere. This is because, for Hobbes, a diversity of religious opinions can lead to conflict and division, threatening the peace and security the state is meant to provide…Read&Listen More
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The Rights of the Sovereign
In Thomas Hobbes’ ‘Leviathan’, the Rights of the Sovereign are a bedrock concept. Hobbes argues that in the state of nature, individuals are in a ‘war of all against all’, where life is ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’. To escape this state of constant fear and peril, individuals come together to form a social contract. They agree to surrender their natural rights and submit to the authority of a Sovereign in exchange for the protection of their lives and property. This Sovereign, whether a monarch or an assembly, holds the ultimate authority to ensure peace and security within the society…Read&Listen More
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The Mechanics of Political Power
In ‘The Leviathan’, Thomas Hobbes delves into the nature and mechanics of political power through a philosophical lens. Hobbes presents a grim view of human nature, where individuals are driven by self-interest and are in constant competition with each other for power and resources. In the state of nature, without political power to govern them, people’s lives are ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.’ To escape this state, individuals enter into a social contract, mutually transferring their rights to an absolute sovereign in exchange for order and protection…Read&Listen More