An Analysis Of Thomas Hobbes S Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes is a towering figure in the history of modern thought and political philosophy. He remains best remembered for his 1651 treatise on government, Leviathan, a work that shows at the very best the reasoning skills of a deeply original and creative thinker. Creative thinking is all about taking a novel approach to questions and problems – showing them in a new light. When Hobbes was writing Leviathan, the standard approach to understanding (and advocating for) monarchical government was to argue, using Christian theology, that kings and queens gained their power and legitimacy from God. At a time of intense political turmoil in England – with civil war raging from 1642-51 – Hobbes took the original step of basing a political theory upon reason alone, and focusing on human nature. His closely-reasoned arguments made the book a controversial best-seller across Europe at the time of its publication, and it has remained a cornerstone of political theory ever since. Though Hobbes argued for government by an absolute monarch, many of his ideas and precepts helped form modern liberal ideas of government, influencing, among others, the American Constitution.

Written during a moment in English history when the political and social structures were in flux and open to interpretation, Leviathan played an essential role in the development of the modern world.

Published in 1651, Leviathan examines where kings get their authority to rule and what they must, in turn, do for their people. Hobbes argues that kings do not have a divine right to hold power; they must earn it by keeping a "social contract" with those they rule over and protect.

By a deep and careful analysis of the text, enabling a new printing history of Leviathan to be constructed, this edition demonstrates that the traditional picture is substantially wrong. Both the Bear and Ornaments editions contain corrections and changes by Hobbes himself and are therefore central to reconstructing his text. In their substantial Introduction the editors examine all previous editions of Leviathan (as well as the manuscript copy prepared for Hobbes as a presentation copy for the King), throwing light on its history and calling into question the assumptions of previous editors. They thus provide an entirely new picture of its production. Schuhmann and Rogers also make full use of the Latin edition of Leviathan, published in 1668 when Hobbes was 80 years old. Through these new perspectives they are able to offer the first complete critical edition to take proper account of the publishing history and of Hobbes's own wishes. The result is as definitive an edition of Leviathan as modern scholarship can provide. >

Written by one of the founders of modern political philosophy, Thomas Hobbes, during the English civil war, Leviathan is an influential work of nonfiction. Regarded as one of the earliest examples of the social contract theory, Leviathan has both historical and philosophical importance. Social contract theory prioritizes the state over the individual, claiming that individuals have consented to the surrender of some of their freedoms by participating in society. These surrendered freedoms help ensure that the government can be run easily. In exchange for their sacrifice, the individual is protected and given a place in a steady social order. Articulating this theory, Hobbes argues for a strong, undivided government ruled by an absolute sovereign. To support his argument, Hobbes includes topics of religion, human nature and taxation. Separated into four sections, Hobbes claims his theory to be the resolution of the civil war that raged on as he wrote, creating chaos and taking causalities. The first section, Of Man discusses the role human nature and instinct plays in the formation of government. The second section, Of Commonwealth explains the definition, implications, types, and rules of succession in a commonwealth government. Of a Christian Commonwealth imagines the religion’s role government and societal moral standards. Finally, Hobbes closes his argument with Of the Kingdom of Darkness. Through the use of philosophical theory and historical study, Thomas Hobbes attempts to convince citizens to consider the cost and reward of being governed. Without an understanding of the sociopolitical theories that keep government bodies in power, subjects can easily become complicit or allow society to slip into anarchy. Created during a brutal civil war, Hobbes hoped to educate and persuade his peers. Though Leviathan was a work of controversy in its time, Hobbes’ theories and prose has survived centuries, shaping the ideas of modern philosophy. This edition of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes is now presented with a stunning new cover design and is printed in an easy-to-read font. With these accommodations, Leviathan is accessible and applicable to contemporary readers.

Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, from 1651, is one of the first and most influential arguments towards social contract. Written in the midst of the English Civil War, it concerns the structure of government and society and argues for strong central governance and the rule of an absolute sovereign as the way to avoid civil war and chaos.

Explanatory annotations make Hobbes's sometimes archaic prose accessible to students. The text is based on the 1909 Oxford University Press edition, which in turn was based on one of the most fully corrected copies of the text that was widely available to readers in the seventeenth century. The editors have also noted variations between this text and other authoritative editions. Backgrounds includes writings on Hobbes's life; selections from his responses to criticism of the book; and criticism and reactions to the work by Sir Robert Filmer, James Harrington, Bishop Bramhall, Edward Hyde (the earl of Clarendon), Gottfried Wilheim Leibniz, Montesquieu, and Henry Sedgwick. Interpretations collects eight of the most important assessments of Hobbes and Leviathan written in the last forty years, including writings by Leo Strauss, Michael Oakeshott, Johann P. Sommerville, Richard Tuck, Jean Hampton, David Johnston, George Kateb, and Richard E. Flathman. Also included in this edition are a Selected Bibliography, Glossary of Terms, and Index of Authorities Cited in the work.