"'He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Man-kind.'
Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan is not just one of the greatest philosophical texts in the English language; it is one of the most important works in the history of Western political thought. Almost every major tradition in the centuries after Hobbes—from radical democracy to authoritarianism—has been influenced by its arguments. Written in exile in a period of dramatic developments—civil war and regicide—Leviathan is in some ways the product of its own special circumstances. And yet, at the same time, it deals with fundamental issues that matter to all of us today: the nature and purpose of the state, the relation between human nature and politics, the idea of natural rights, the justification of authority, the concept of representation, the nature of sovereignty, the limits of obedience, and the relationship between religious obligations and human ones.
This new edition offers a definitive text drawn from more than twenty years of research by Noel Malcolm, including, in English translation, all the most significant revisions made in Hobbes's later Latin translation of Leviathan."
"'Leviatán' es una obra de Thomas Hobbes publicada en 1651. El nombre 'Leviatán' hace referencia a un monstruo marino bíblico descrito en el libro de Job y los Salmos, y es utilizado metafóricamente para representar al poderoso Estado. La obra significó un antes y un después en la teoría política. Hobbes sostenía que el ser humano, en su estado natural, es egoísta y competitivo, lo que conduce a una 'guerra de todos contra todos' en busca de poder y recursos. Para escapar de este caos, los individuos acuerdan un 'contrato social', mediante el cual ceden parte de su libertad y poder a un soberano absoluto (el 'Leviatán') para mantener la paz y el orden en la sociedad. Según Hobbes, este soberano debe tener autoridad absoluta y su poder no puede ser desafiado, ya que la rebelión solo conduciría nuevamente al estado de guerra. La obra es una amplia exploración de la naturaleza humana, la política y la sociedad."
"'Leviatán' es una obra clásica de la filosofía política escrita por Thomas Hobbes. En este libro, Hobbes presenta una visión profunda y controversial sobre la naturaleza humana y la organización del Estado. Argumenta que los seres humanos son egoístas por naturaleza y que su afán de poder y supervivencia los lleva a un estado de guerra constante. Para evitar este caos, Hobbes propone la creación de un gobierno fuerte y centralizado, personificado en el 'Leviatán', que tenga el poder absoluto para mantener la paz y el orden en la sociedad. A través de su análisis del contrato social y la teoría del absolutismo, Hobbes cuestiona las bases de la autoridad política y establece los fundamentos de la filosofía política moderna."
"Leviathan is a book written by Thomas Hobbes and published in 1651. It is one of the most important works in political philosophy and is considered a cornerstone of modern political thought.
The main argument of Leviathan is that humans are fundamentally selfish and violent, and that without a strong government to control them, they would inevitably descend into a state of chaos and conflict. Hobbes famously characterized this state as 'the war of all against all.'
In order to avoid this scenario, Hobbes argued that individuals must surrender their natural rights to a sovereign authority. This sovereign, which Hobbes called the Leviathan, would have absolute power to enforce its will upon the people, and in exchange would provide them with security and protection.
Hobbes believed that the ideal form of government was an absolute monarchy, where the sovereign's power was not limited by any laws or institutions. He argued that any attempt to limit the power of the sovereign would be doomed to failure, as it would only lead to the re-emergence of the state of nature and the breakdown of society.
Leviathan is also notable for its contributions to social contract theory, which argues that individuals enter into a contract with their government in order to protect their rights and maintain order in society. Hobbes' social contract theory was influential in the development of political thought and continues to be studied and debated today."
"Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common-Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, commonly referred to as Leviathan, is a book written by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) and published in 1651 (revised Latin edition 1668). Its name derives from the biblical Leviathan. The work concerns the structure of society and legitimate government, and is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. Leviathan ranks as a classic Western work on statecraft comparable to Machiavelli's The Prince. Written during the English Civil War (1642-1651), Leviathan argues for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign. Hobbes wrote that civil war and the brute situation of a state of nature ('the war of all against all') could only be avoided by strong, undivided government."
"In Books 3 and 4 of Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes elaborates on the political philosophy set forth in the first two books, by considering the nature of a Christian commonwealth. Book 3 begins with a wealth of biblical scholarship, directed at establishing the authority of Scripture while at the same time undermining modern claims to supernatural revelation that would subvert civil law. Hobbes concludes that we cannot be sure of anyone else's divine revelation, and that religious authority is therefore subordinate to civil power. Book 4, titled "Of the Kingdom of Darkness," sets forth the various ways in which Scripture has been misinterpreted by the church, according to Hobbes, in mixing pagan elements with Christianity.
(Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Leon Mire)"
"The leviathan is the vast unity of the State. But how are unity, peace, and security to be attained? Hobbes' answer is sovereignty, but the resurgence of interest today in Leviathan is due less to its answers than its methods: Hobbes sees politics as a science capable of the same axiomatic approach as geometry.
Written during the turmoil of the English Civil War, Leviathan was, in Hobbes' lifetime, publicly burnt and even condemned in Parliament as one of the causes of the Great Fire of London in 1666. Its current appeal lies not just in its elevation of politics to a science, but in its overriding concern for peace, its systematic analysis of power, and its convincing apologia for the then-emergent market society in which we still live."
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