Hobbes Publishes Leviathan

Setting the scene

Thomas Hobbes published Leviathan in 1651 during the English Civil Wars' aftermath, while in exile in Paris. Born in 1588, Hobbes had been tutor to the Cavendish family and witnessed the chaos of civil war, which profoundly shaped his political philosophy. He wrote Leviathan to provide a scientific, rational foundation for political authority that could prevent the anarchy he saw in England. The book's full title reveals its scope: Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil.

What happened

Hobbes's central argument was that in the 'state of nature'—life without government—humans exist in 'continual fear and danger of violent death,' and life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' To escape this, people enter a social contract, surrendering rights to a sovereign (a monarch or assembly) who provides security. This sovereign, the Leviathan (named for the biblical sea monster), must have absolute power—anything less returns society to anarchy. Hobbes argued for strong central authority, rejecting divine right but also rejecting rebellion.

Why it still matters

Leviathan was controversial—Royalists disliked its social contract theory (implying kings rule by consent, not God), Parliamentarians disliked its absolutism, and churchmen disliked its materialism (Hobbes argued the soul was material). It was condemned and burned at Oxford. Yet Leviathan founded modern political philosophy—its method (applying geometry to politics), its individualism, and its social contract theory influenced Locke, Rousseau, and all subsequent political thought. Hobbes's bleak view of human nature and his solution—absolute sovereignty—remains central to debates about freedom versus security, especially after 9/11 and during pandemics.

Background

It became a cornerstone text of political theory. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.