Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
QR code
"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. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679 |
|---|---|
| Title | Leviathan |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Hobbes_book) |
| Credits | Edward White and David Widger |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 49.6 (College-level). Difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | JC: Political science: Political theory |
| Subject | Political science -- Early works to 1800 |
| Subject | State, The -- Early works to 1800 |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 3207 |
| Release Date | May 1, 2002 |
| Last Update | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 27017 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!