Leviathan (Penguin Classics)

'The life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short' Written during the chaos of the English Civil War, Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan asks how, in a world of violence and horror, can we stop ourselves from descending into anarchy? Hobbes' case for a 'common-wealth' under a powerful sovereign - or 'Leviathan' - to enforce security and the rule of law, shocked his contemporaries, and his book was publicly burnt for sedition the moment it was published. But his penetrating work of political philosophy opened up questions about the nature of statecraft and society that influenced governments across the world. Edited with an Introduction by Christopher Brooke ""During the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called Warre." Written during the turmoil of the English Civil War, Leviathan is an ambitious and highly original work of political philosophy. Claiming that man's essential nature is competitive and selfish, Hobbes formulates the case for a powerful sovereign -- or "Leviathan" -- to enforce peace and the law, substituting security for the anarchic freedom he believed human beings would otherwise experience. This worldview shocked many of Hobbes's contemporaries, and his work was publicly burnt for sedition and blasphemy when it was first published. But in his rejection of Aristotle's view of man as a naturally social being, and in his painstaking analysis of the ways in which society can and should function, Hobbes opened up a whole new world of political science. Based on the original 1651 text, this edition incorporates Hobbes's own corrections, while also retaining the original spelling and punctuation, to read with vividness and clarity. C. B. Macpherson's introduction elucidates one of the most fascinating works of modern philosophy for the general reader." -- Provided by publisher Leviathan (1651)—full title Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil —is a book written by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The book offers a criticisms regarding the structure of society and legitimate government. It is considered one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. Leviathan (1651)—full title Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil—is a book written by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The book offers a criticisms regarding the structure of society and legitimate government. It is considered one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. Introduction A Note on the New Edition LEVIATHAN Epistle Dedicatory The Introduction PART I: Of Man PART II: Of Common-wealth PART III: Of a Christian Common-wealth PART IV: Of the Kingdome of Darknesse A Review, and Conclusion Notes Chronology Further Reading Follow Penguin The Renowned Work By The English Political Philosopher Examines The Structure Of Society And Legitimate Government, Arguing For A Social Contract And Rule By An Absolute Sovereign.