Leviathan
Subtitle: or, The matter, forme and power of a commonwealth, ecclesiasticall and civil
By: Edited by Michael Oakeshott. With an introd. by Richard S. Peters
Series: Collier classics in the history of thought
Publisher: Collier Books
Published: 1962
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 511
ISBN-13: 9780020655107
Subjects: Early works to 1800; Political science; The State
Description: Comparable to Plato's Republic in depth and insight, Leviathan includes two society-changing phenomena that Plato didn't dare to dream of -- the rise of great nation-states with their claims to absolute sovereignty, and modern science, with its unprecedented analytic power. To Hobbes, the leviathan -- a mythical sea creature described in the Old Testament -- represented his central thesis: that the state must be strong in order to control and protect its citizens. Even today, Hobbes's thesis in Leviathan is debated among scholars and philosophy aficionados around the globe ... Like Plato's Republic, this book contains ideas on psychology, ethics, law, language, and religion that continue to challenge modern thinkers and exercise a profound influence on Western thought. A classic treatise of philosophy, Leviathan is critical reading for anyone who wishes to examine the human mind through the prisms of government and society.