Leviathan
(or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiastical and Civill
By Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, 1651
Introduction
The First Part — Of Man
- 1. Of Sense
- 2. Of Imagination
- 3. Of the Consequences or Train of Imaginations
- 4. Of Speech
- 5. Of Reason and Science
- 6. Of the Interiour Beginnings of Voluntary Motions, Commonly Called the Passions; And the Speeches by which they are Expressed
- 7. Of the Ends or Resolutions of Discourse
- 8. Of the Vertues, Commonly Called Intellectuall, and their Contrary Defects
- 9. Of the Severall Subjects of Knowledge
- 10. Of Power, Worth, Dignity, Honour, and Worthinesse
- 11. Of the Difference of Manners
- 12. Of Religion
- 13. Of the Naturall Condition of Mankind as Concerning their Felicity and Misery
- 14. Of the First and Second Naturall Lawes, and of Contract
- 15. Of Other Lawes of Nature
- 16. Of Persons, Authors, and Things Personated
The Second Part — Of Common-wealth
- 17. Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a Common-wealth
- 18. Of the Rights of Soveraignes by Institution
- 19. Of Severall Kinds of Common-wealth by Institution; And of Succesion to the Soveraign Power
- 20. Of Dominion Paternall, and Despoticall
- 21. Of the Liberty of Subjects
- 22. Of Systemes Subject, Politicall, and Private
- 23. Of the Publique Ministers of Soveraign Power
- 24. Of the Nutrition, and Procreation of a Common-wealth
- 25. Of Counsell
- 26. Of Civill Lawes
- 27. Of Crimes, Excuses, and Extenuations
- 28. Of Punishments, and Rewards
- 29. Of Those Things that Weaken, or Tend to the Dissolution of a Common-wealth
- 30. Of the Office of the Soveraign Representative
- 31. Of the Kingdom of God by Nature
The Third Part — Of a Christian Common-wealth
- 32. Of the Principles of Christian Politiques
- 33. Of the Number, Antiquity, Scope, Authority, and Interpreters of the Books of Holy Scripture.
- 34. Of the Signification, of Spirit, Angell, and Inspiration in the Books of Holy Scripture
- 35. Of The Signification in Scripture of The Kingdome of God, Of Holy, Sacred, and Sacrament
- 36. Of The Word of God, and of Prophets
- 37. Of Miracles, and their Use
- 38. Of The Signification in Scripture of Eternall Life, Hel, Salvation, the World to Come, and Redemption
- 39. Of the Signification in Scripture of the Word Church
- 40. Of the Rights of the Kingdome of God, in Abraham, Moses, the High Priests, and the Kings of Judah
- 41. Of the Office of our Blessed Saviour
- 42. Of Power Ecclesiasticall
- 43. Of What is Necessary for Man's Reception into the Kingdome of Heaven
The Fourth Part — Of the Kingdome of Darknesse
Conclusion
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
Printed for Andrew Crooke, at the Green Dragon in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1651.
Editor's Comments
Arguably the greatest peice of political philosophy ever written in English, Hobbes' Leviathan explains his view of humanity. He professes that humans are naturally selfish, competetive animals and live out their "nasty, brutish, and short" lives propelled by desire and restrained only by fear.