# Leviathan

**Author:** Thomas Hobbes
**Tags:** Political science, State, The, Early works to 1800
**Price:** Free
**Formats:** DOCX, EPUB, FB2, PDF, TXT
**Downloads:** 30
**Added:** 10.07.2026
**URL:** https://samolit.com/books/95815

## Description

Leviathan, first published in 1651, stands as one of the foundational texts of Western political philosophy, composed during the turmoil of the English Civil War. In this ambitious treatise, Thomas Hobbes constructs a systematic account of human nature, society, and government, beginning from stark premises about the human condition. He famously portrays the state of nature as a condition of perpetual conflict, the "war of every man against every man," in which people constantly seek to destroy one another. From this bleak starting point, Hobbes builds his case for the necessity of a powerful central authority: humanity's natural state is a brutal "war of all against all," driven by individual appetites and the fear of violent death, and only a sovereign wielding near-absolute power can rescue individuals from this chaos through a binding social contract. Structured across four parts covering man, commonwealth, a Christian commonwealth, and the kingdom of darkness, the work blends psychology, theology, and political theory into a sweeping argument for order over anarchy. Provocative, rigorous, and enduringly controversial, Leviathan remains essential reading for understanding the origins of modern political thought and the justification of state authority.