num_pages: 511
description: As a work of political philosophy, Hobbes's Leviathan ranks with Plato's Republic for depth and insight--but it has the advantage of having been written some 2,000 years later.By this time two entirely new phenomena had made their appearance--the great nation-state with its claim to absolute sovereignty, and modern science with its unprecedented analytic power. Leviathan was one of the first attempts at a genuinely scientific understanding of politics and society in their modern form--and it remains one of the most stimulating.More than a brilliant and ruthless analysis of the bases of government, Leviathan embodies a vast structure of thought. It embraces physical nature, man as an individual, and man as a citizen of the state. Like the Republic, it contains ideas on psychology, ethics, law, language, and religion that continue to exercise a profound influence on Western thought.
language: English
title: Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil
titlecomplete: Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil
genres: Politics, Political Science, Philosophy, Academic, 17th Century, Nonfiction, School, Law, Classics, History
ratings_count: 46076
publisher: Scribner Paper Fiction