Kalamdan

Thomas Hobbes

Leviathan

Philosophy and Wisdom

Cover of Leviathan

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Language
English
First published
1651
Reading time
922 minutes
Chapters
52 chapters

About this book

Written during the English Civil War, Leviathan asks why people should obey any government at all.

Hobbes pictures life without one as a war of everyone against everyone, in which life is "solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short", and argues that to escape it we agree to hand our power to a single sovereign. He builds the case step by step from human senses, speech and passions, then turns to religion and the church. This is the 1651 text in Hobbes's own spelling. It is long and demanding, but it remains one of the founding books of political thought.

TO MY MOST HONOR’D FRIEND Mr. FRANCIS GODOLPHIN of GODOLPHIN

Dedication

About this edition

  • Source

    Project Gutenberg (eBook #3207)

    Text version

    Project Gutenberg eBook #3207 (updated 17 September 2025), downloaded 7 November 2026: the text of the first edition of 1651, in Hobbes's own spelling, prepared from a modern reprint. The title page, the transcriber's notes, the contents of the chapters, the four part headings and the closing "FINIS" were not imported. Hobbes's dedication, the introduction, the 47 chapters and "A Review, and Conclusion" are unchanged; his margin notes appear as short headings above paragraphs, and the e-text marks his italics with initial capitals. The longest chapter is split into parts on the site.

  • License

    Public domain

    Copyright status last verified: 9 November 2026

  • Category

    Philosophy and Wisdom

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Chapters

52 chapters
  1. Dedication2 min
  2. The Introduction4 min
  3. Chapter I. Of Sense3 min
  4. Chapter II. Of Imagination10 min
  5. Chapter III. Of the Consequence or Trayne of Imaginations9 min
  6. Chapter IV. Of Speech15 min
  7. Chapter V. Of Reason, and Science.12 min
  8. Chapter VI. Of the Interiour Beginnings of Voluntary Motions16 min
  9. Chapter VII. Of the Ends or Resolutions of Discourse6 min
  10. Chapter VIII. Of the Vertues Commonly Called Intellectual; and Their Contrary Defects19 min
  11. Chapter IX. Of the Severall Subjects of Knowledge3 min
  12. Chapter X. Of Power, Worth, Dignity, Honour and Worthiness14 min
  13. Chapter XI. Of the Difference of Manners12 min
  14. Chapter XII. Of Religion21 min
  15. Chapter XIII. Of the Naturall Condition of Mankind, as Concerning Their Felicity, and Misery8 min
  16. Chapter XIV. Of the First and Second Naturall Lawes, and of Contracts19 min
  17. Chapter XV. Of Other Lawes of Nature23 min
  18. Chapter XVI. Of Persons, Authors, and Things Personated8 min
  19. Chapter XVII. Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a Common-Wealth8 min
  20. Chapter XVIII. Of the Rights of Soveraignes by Institution16 min
  21. Chapter XIX. Of the Severall Kinds of Common-Wealth by Institution, and of Succession to the Soveraigne Power18 min
  22. Chapter XX. Of Dominion Paternall and Despoticall15 min
  23. Chapter XXI. Of the Liberty of Subjects19 min
  24. Chapter XXII. Of Systemes Subject, Politicall, and Private21 min
  25. Chapter XXIII. Of the Publique Ministers of Soveraign Power8 min
  26. Chapter XXIV. Of the Nutrition, and Procreation of a Common-Wealth11 min
  27. Chapter XXV. Of Counsell13 min
  28. Chapter XXVI. Of Civill Lawes36 min
  29. Chapter XXVII. Of Crimes, Excuses, and Extenuations26 min
  30. Chapter XXVIII. Of Punishments, and Rewards14 min
  31. Chapter XXIX. Of Those Things That Weaken, or Tend to the Dissolution of a Common-Wealth18 min
  32. Chapter XXX. Of the Office of the Soveraign Representative27 min
  33. Chapter XXXI. Of the Kingdome of God by Nature19 min
  34. Chapter XXXII. Of the Principles of Christian Politiques9 min
  35. Chapter XXXIII. Of the Number, Antiquity, Scope, Authority, and Interpreters of the Books of Holy Scripture19 min
  36. Chapter XXXIV. Of the Signification of Spirit, Angel, and Inspiration in the Books of Holy Scripture21 min
  37. Chapter XXXV. Of the Signification in Scripture of Kingdome of God, of Holy, Sacred, and Sacrament14 min
  38. Chapter XXXVI. Of the Word of God, and of Prophets28 min
  39. Chapter XXXVII. Of Miracles, and Their Use14 min
  40. Chapter XXXVIII. Of the Signification in Scripture of Eternall Life, Hell, Salvation, the World to Come, and Redemption28 min
  41. Chapter XXXIX. Of the Signification in Scripture of the Word Church5 min
  42. Chapter XL. Of the Rights of the Kingdome of God, in Abraham, Moses, High Priests, and the Kings of Judah19 min
  43. Chapter XLI. Of the Office of Our Blessed Saviour14 min
  44. Chapter XLII. Of Power Ecclesiasticall, part 1 of 353 min
  45. Chapter XLII. Of Power Ecclesiasticall, part 2 of 353 min
  46. Chapter XLII. Of Power Ecclesiasticall, part 3 of 325 min
  47. Chapter XLIII. Of What Is Necessary for a Mans Reception Into the Kingdome of Heaven.26 min
  48. Chapter XLIV. Of Spirituall Darknesse From Misinterpretation of Scripture46 min
  49. Chapter XLV. Of Daemonology, and Other Reliques of the Religion of the Gentiles36 min
  50. Chapter XLVI. Of Darknesse From Vain Philosophy, and Fabulous Traditions32 min
  51. Chapter XLVII. Of the Benefit That Proceedeth From Such Darknesse, and to Whom It Accreweth16 min
  52. A Review, and Conclusion18 min

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