What is Leviathan?

Leviathan (full name Leviathan, or Essence, Form and Strength of Church State and Citizen State) is a political science work written by Thomas Hobbes, which was first published in 165 1.

Leviathan is divided into four parts The first part, On Man, discusses the "natural state" and natural law based on man's innate ability. The second part, "On the State", mainly discusses the various forms, sovereignty and human rights of the state where the contract is produced. The third part, On Christian Countries, mainly discusses the political status of the church and personal freedom of belief. The fourth part, On dark kingdom, mainly criticizes religion, philosophy and political thought. This book elaborates on the theory of social contract.

Leviathan has a profound influence on Locke and Rousseau's social contract theory. For centuries, this book has been listed as one of the classics that leaders must read and the first political book. In Europe in the19th century, it was sought after by heads of state, and it was the basic teaching material for royal education, and it was also one of the daily required books for kings.

Extended data:

brief Introduction of the content

Leviathan is divided into four parts

The first article is about people. Hobbes regards human life as a kind of mechanical movement, and thinks that pursuing advantages and avoiding disadvantages and self-preservation are the fundamental principles of human life movement, that is, human nature. In the natural state without any political authority, people struggle for self-interest, showing a state of war in which everyone is against everyone.

The second article is about the country. This paper mainly discusses that people in the natural state, out of fear of death, conclude contracts with each other under the guidance of reason, give up their natural rights and give them to a meeting of one person or a group of people, thus forming a country. Sovereignty is the essence of a country, and the power of the sovereign is absolute and inseparable. Subjects must absolutely obey the monarch, but they also emphasize that the role of the state is to protect the safety of individuals.

The third article "On the Country of the Christian System" and the fourth article "On dark kingdom" mainly exposed and criticized the corruption of the Roman church and the pope's violation of secular power, and put forward the idea that politics and religion are integrated and religious power is subordinate to the royal power.

References:

Leviathan (Hobbes creates political works) _ Baidu Encyclopedia