About this title: This is a critical edition of Hobbes's "Leviathan". Hobbes began writing "Leviathan" in Paris having fled there in 1640 as he saw the Civil War approaching. It was finished in early 1651 and sent to London to Hobbes's publisher, Andrew Crooke at the Green Dragon in St Paul's Churchyard. There are three editions all with the date 1651 and all three have Andrew Crooke as their printer. They are known as the "Head" edition, the "Bear" edition and the "Ornaments" edition - after the decorations on their title pages. Virtually all previous editions from that of 1750 (with the exception of that of ...
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Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Pelican Classics, Middlesex
Date Published: 1977
Description: Cover slightly scuffed through use. Softback, Ex-Library, with usual stamps markings, in good all-round condition, 728pages., 450grams, ISBN: read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: George Routledge and Sons, London
Description: No publication date. No dust jacket. Covers scuffed and marked. Hardback, ex-library, with usual stamps and markings, in fair all round condition suitable as a reading copy., 500grams, ISBN: read more
Description: Used-Good. Front cover slight loose at spine-Black ink mark to bottom edge-Clean throughout-Dispatch by FIRST CLASS POST within TWO WORKING DAYS with IMMEDIATE CONFIRMATION. Independent bookseller established for 15 years. Excellent customer service is our priority. No-quibble 30-day return guarantee. read more
Description: Very good. Paperback. May contain minor creasing/scuffing to cover and mild tanning to pages. But otherwise will be of exceptional quality. FAST DISPATCH. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Fontana
Date Published: 1972
ISBN-13:9780006330660ISBN:0006330665
Description: Good. All orders are dispatched from our UK warehouse within one working day. Established in 2004. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Phoenix
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780460874373ISBN:0460874373
Description: Good. Our aim is to create value for our customers through the provision of low cost, affordable products and an overall satisfying buying experience. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Phoenix
Date Published: 1994
ISBN-13:9780460874373ISBN:0460874373
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Description: Good. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall 0140400028 Paperback From the turmoil of the English Civil War, when life was truly 'nasty, brutish and short', Hobbe's Leviathan (1651) speaks directly to the twentieth century. Previous owners name to inside cover. Slight wear to cover. (We carry a wide selection of titles in The Arts, Theology, History, Politics, Social and Physical Sciences. academic and scholarly books and Modern First Editions etc. ) read more
...and I haven't even opened the cover yet... Leviathan shall devour me alive...
*EDIT*
For some reason, even though Second Treatise of Government is about a million times skinnier than Leviathan and its very name is less imposing, I'm having an easier time with Leviathan.
Yes, Hobbes, I do understand that people can have "stream of consciousness" thoughts. NO, I DO NOT NEED YOU TO GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE!!
17th century vocabulary is so fun to decipher. Hobbes keeps calling the Israelites "peculiar people". I finally figured out that he meant "set apart" and not "weird"!
*EDIT*
I lied.
Mr. Locke, I apologize. You are FAR, FAR easier to understand than Mr. Hobbes...
See, I ran into a few pages where Hobbes began to define things in very, very simple sentences, like "Anger is caused by that to which man has an aversion"...and I thought, "Wow, how easy can this get?! Hobbes is throwing out definitions left and right! I'll be able to understand EVERYTHING!"
Um. No. Know why?
Hobbes defines EVERYTHING. He was born to be a dictionary. Appetite, aversion, courage, hatred, love, fear, greed...lots of nice, neat "this=that" sentences. What Hobbes DOESN'T do is connect everything into nice, neat arguments. So after about 50 pages, I pulled myself out of the stomach of Leviathan and thought, "...I still have no idea what Hobbes is arguing for." It's sort of like watching a movie that has a really long setup...you just keep waiting and waiting for something important to happen...and by the time it DOES, you're already way too lost to enjoy yourself...
And you know what *really* makes this book harder than Second Treatise of Government? I don't think I agree with it...but I'm not sure.
This was for school, and thankfully, I don't have to read this entire monster of a book."
"Bleh and double bleh. Two stars only because of its political and social importance.
Problems: 1. Degree of moral relativism. 2. Representative of commonwealth > Individual 3. No ultimate purpose for life. (Bah humbug!) 4. Can be used to support absolute rule.
I hate Hobbes, but perhaps "hate" is the wrong word. To speak in Hobbes' manner, maybe I should use "contempt," as I am quite neutral toward his philosophy as a whole. Okay, then, I have contempt for Hobbes. Here's two instead of one stars for you, then, Mr. Hobbes. The best thing you did was turn into a big orange tiger."
"Three essential hallmarks of the Hobbesian system are important: the war of each against all, the role of human rationality in ending this; the use of knowledge/science as a basis for societal engineering. His view of the state of nature--that time before government and the state existed--is unsurprising when one understands that he was born in the year of the erstwhile invasion by the Spanish Armada (1588) and lived through civil turmoil and revolution in England throughout his life.
Hobbes begins with a view of human life that would be inconceivable to the Greeks--life in a state of nature, the time before government, laws, and the state existed. In this state, humans are equal. In terms of physical prowess, of course, some are stronger than others. However, the weakest, through guile, can still kill the strongest. In that sense, there is equality. Without the power of government to keep people in check, though, we find quarrels routinely breaking out. The motives are threefold: self-gain, safety, and reputation (or glory). The result is horrible, and here follows perhaps the single most well known statement penned by Hobbes: "Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in a condition which is called Warre; and such a warre, as is of every man, against every man. . . .In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continual feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short."
However, the fear and terror of the state of nature can be escaped. Humans are, after all, according to Hobbes, capable of reason. Individual reason leads people to realize that they must do something to escape ". . .Feare of Death; Desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a Hope by their Industry to obtain them." Furthermore, human reason allows individuals to understand laws of nature. This is defined by Hobbes as ". . .a Precept, or general Rule, found out by Reason, by which a man is forbidden to do, that, which is destructive of his life, or taketh away the means of preserving the same." To preserve life, and the fruits of industry that might be gained by peace, human reason lets people realize that only by giving up some of their freedoms, liberties, rights in order to establish a system that will end perpetual war of each against all. The mechanism for this is the "social contract," by which people in the state of nature covenant with one another to form a powerful government, so powerful that it can suppress individuals' efforts to seek self-advantage as under the state of nature. A "Leviathan" is needed.
However, if the state ceases to protect people's lives, the contract can be voided; revolution is an acceptable option for the citizenry then. However, the price is terrible, for with the dissolution of the state, people are plunged back into the nightmare of the state of nature. They would have to re-enact a contract to escape the ravages of the perpetual war.
Key points in Hobbes: the focus is on the individual rather than society, hence this is an individualistic system; human reason is considered to be central to attaining peace and harmony; humans can perceive the essence of natural laws through the powers of their reason; by contracting with one another, the people can control their destinies and produce an environment which they find more commodious for living fruitfully. An important early work in the development of Modern thinking and liberal political thought. A must read work for those interested in Western political philosophy."
"hobbes is the author of political dictatorship and monarchy. having been returned politically to a hobbesian state during the last us presidency, i found this book incredibly informative about the nature of surrender. Hobbes' state of nature is defined primarily by the constant fear of death and engagements of war. By acknowledging a "Leviathan" (sea monster, figure head) a state of relative peace is gained. The social contract states that in trade for protection from each other, we agree to give up power to the figure head, who promises to protect us. There is no room in this text fro growth and change, or for basic cultural evolution."
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