About this title: A cornerstone of modern western philosophy, addressing the role of man in government, society and religion In 1651, Hobbes published his work about the relationship between the government and the individual. More than four centuries old, this brilliant yet ruthless book analyzes not only the bases of government but also physical nature and the ...
read more
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: COLLIER BOOKS
Date Published: 1962
Description: Published by Collier Books in 1962. Paperback. Number of pages: 511. Condition: Good. Used book but in Good Condition for sensible price. Shipped from UK. Delivery is usually 2-3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: BASIL BLACKWELL
Date Published: 1966
Description: Published by Basil Blackwell in 1966. Hardback. Number of pages: 468. Condition: Good. Used book but in Good Condition for sensible price. Shipped from UK. Delivery is usually 2-3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Collier Books, New York
Date Published: 1962
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Bookshelf 1 at top of attic stairs; slight bend on bottom of front cover. Proceeds benefit animal rescue. 511 p. 18 cm. Collier classics in the history of thought.. read more
Edition: Reprint.
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Collier Books, New York
Date Published: 1967
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Some yellow highlighting. Cover wear: a smudge on front cover, wear at lower corner of front cover. Edge wear on spine and spine creases. Tight binding. 511 p. 18 cm. Collier classics in the history of thought.. read more
Edition: 1st Edition
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: New York, N.Y. U.S.A. : Collier Macmillan Publishers, 1962, New York, N.Y. U.S.A.
Date Published: 1962
ISBN-13:9780020655107ISBN:002065510X
Description: Very Good. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Soft Cover. Very Good. 1st Edition. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. More than a brilliant and ruthless analysis of the bases of government, 'Leviathon' embodies a vast structure of thought. It embraces physical nature, man as an individual, and man as a citizen of the state. It contains ideas on psychology, ethics, law, language, and religion that continue to exercise a profound influence on Western thought. read more
Description: GOOD. NO JACKET. Signed by Author(s) No date, with inscription dated 1949. Pages good, occasional light pencil underlining. Covers have some shelf-wear and small scuffs. The binding is tight. World of Books makes a contribution to the British Heart Foundation for every book sold. The BHF is the UK's leading heart research charity. read more
Description: New. 1416573607 New from the publisher-has remainder mark. Ships within 1 business day. Your 100% satisfaction is our guarantee! read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Collier Books, N.Y.
Date Published: 1962
ISBN-13:9780020655107ISBN:002065510X
Description: Very Good ++ in Very Good ++ jacket. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. pp.511 More than a ruthless and brillant analysis of the bases of government this book embodies a vast structure of thought. clean tight copy foxing to text edges, blue ink underlining on page 11. slight edgewear. 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."
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
