Leviathan
Or the Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiastical and Civil
by Thomas Hobbes · first published 1651
21% recommend76% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
Foundational social-contract text on why people accept a strong sovereign and a state monopoly on violence, and the trade-off between centralized power and safety. Suits readers of political philosophy and Western canon.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, from 1651, is one of the first and most influential arguments towards social contract. Written in the midst of the English Civil War, it concerns the structure of government and society and argues for strong central governance and the rule of an absolute sovereign as the way to avoid civil war and chaos.
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…social policy One of my all-time favorite pieces of political philosophy. I wish more people (not just philosophers or political scientists) took the time to read it. Also consider checking out Hobbes' Leviathan[1] and Rousseau's On the Social Contract[2]. [1] https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3207/3207-h/3207-h.htm [2] https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46333/46333-h/46333-h.htm
on “On Liberty (1859) [pdf]” ↗…replied in turn. Upon reading the article I think comment still has relevancy.) No. Give up illusions like your rights exist in some vacuous transcendental place outside of other people and society. Read, "Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes or if you really want to get the, "tarian" washed out of your soul dig into Rousseau's, "the Social Contract." I will state this over and over: "The Divine Right of Individuals" is…
on “Is “acceptably non-dystopian” self-sovereign identity even possible?” ↗…those that first popped into my head. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics David Chalmers, The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory Gottlob Frege, Die Grundlagen der Arithmetik Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding J.S. Mill, On Liberty John Rawls, A Theory of Justice Stewart Shapiro, Philosophy of Mathematics: Structure and Ontology
on “Ask HN: Best Philosophical Books?” ↗…personal memory of "aha!" moments in my own life, but will perhaps serve as a useful beach head for your own investigations: * Descartes' Meditations * Locke Essay Concerning Human Understanding * Hobbes Leviathan * Kant Critique of Pure Reason * Kant Prolegomena * Kuhn Structure of Scientific Revolution * Hegel Phenomenology of Spirit * Foucault Discipline & Punish * Sellars Epistemology and the Philosophy…
on “Ask HN: Learning about philosophy” ↗No, it isn't, but it appears to be the endgame of representative democracy. I'd suggest reading Hobbes' Leviathan, or perhaps Hayek's Road to Serfdom, if you haven't already, as both anticipated this exact malaise. The US and the UK are in the terminal stages of decline. The representative democratic ideal is ultimately…
on “Sweden closes four prisons as number of inmates plummets” ↗…Karl Marx - That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen, Frederic Bastiat Philosophy / Politics: - The Republic, Plato - Second Treatise on Government, John Locke - The Law, Frederic Bastiat - Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes - Meditations, Marcus Aurelius - Democracy in America, Alexis de Toqueville - On Liberty, John Stuart Mill Fiction: - The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Mark Twain -…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?” ↗Following societies' rules is the basic principle of the social contract, I recommend reading a little about it starting from Hobbes' Leviathan.
on “Lasting immunity found after recovery from Covid-19” ↗I see. So the need for structure mandates the need for nation-states, as there is no alternative, and there have always been nation-states? Recommend reading Hobbes' Leviathan and Hayek's Road to Serfdom, if this topic interests you.
on “UN Experts Condemn the Human Rights Costs of Secret Trade Agreements” ↗No. Read Hobbes' Leviathan, it discusses this. A prerequisite for success the sovereign must establish a state religion, subjects comply or are executed. And then John Locke, with emphasis on consent of the governed. And why…
on “Microsoft calls for dismissal of U.S. Supreme Court privacy fight” ↗…of books you should read about this stuff; it'll make you more educated on it than any reply here can. I'd start with Rousseau's 'The Social Contract,' Locke's second treatise on government, Hobbes' 'Leviathan', John Stuart Mill's 'On Utilitarianism,' Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, and Hume's Political Discourses.
on “Philae has landed” ↗Thomas Hobbes Leviathan is the definitive work on this [0]. Modern nation states are living gods. For better or for worse, they are largely unconscious in their actions and relatively slow to move. When a state level actor achieves…
on “Dude, you broke the future” ↗…following. You may wish to start with wikipedia entries on them, or other sources, but reading the texts themselves is useful! Plato: The Republic Aristotle: Nichomachean Ethics; and Politics Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan John Locke: Two Treatises of Government Rousseau: The Social Contract Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws De Toqueville: Democracy in America Karl Marx: The Communist Manifesto; and Das Kapital. JS…
on “Show HN: A political news aggregator you can comment on” ↗…was promoted by mainstream media tells our kids not to trust mainstream media?! I mean RIP but it doesn't make sense. And for those who are pro-anarchy and against government please read Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan.
on “John McAfee's Final Message to the Youth” ↗Yes, I would strongly agree that Hobbes' Leviathan is worth reading for its own sake but also it's an aboulte must if one is interested in or studying Western philosophy as it holds a key place in the canon of philosophical works. In my view the Leviathan…
on “Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan shaped modern politics” ↗Until I read Hobbes in my late 20s I couldn't see further. Give Leviathan a go. I suggest an easy way in is to listen to these lectures on Political Philosophy by prof. Steven B. Smith [2]. Now, Hobbes and Rousseau are flawed thinkers, but the gist of "social contract" theory…
on “I've been targeted with a vicious corporate counterattack (2021)” ↗