chapters 17-19
About Leviathan
Thomas Hobbes was a 17th-century English philosopher who lived through a lot of political chaos—think civil wars, crumbling governments, and general social mayhem. All that instability made him ask a big question: what does it take to keep a society from falling apart? His answer: strong government, clear rules, and a serious agreement among people to follow the same system. Enter his most famous work: Leviathan.
In Leviathan, Hobbes argues that without government—without laws, rules, and consequences—human life would be nasty, brutish, and short. Sounds dramatic, right? But Hobbes genuinely believed that people, left to their own devices, would fall into violent competition for power, resources, and survival. No trust. No safety. Just every person for themselves.
So how do we escape that mess? Hobbes says we make a social contract—a collective agreement to give up certain freedoms in exchange for protection and order. And here’s the kicker: for that contract to work, we need a Leviathan—a powerful authority (aka the government) to enforce the rules. Think of it like a referee in a chaotic game: without someone to call fouls and keep things fair, the whole thing falls apart.
As for justice, Hobbes doesn’t think it exists in a “state of nature” (life before laws). Justice only begins when we agree to the contract. That means right and wrong aren’t universal truths—they’re created through mutual agreement and the laws that follow.
Some people see Hobbes as a downer, a total authoritarian. Others see him as a realist who’s just trying to prevent humans from tearing each other apart. Either way, his ideas helped kick off modern political theory—and they still spark big debates today.
Before You Read
Imagine a world with no laws, no police, no schools, no government—just people doing whatever they want to survive. Would it be peaceful? Cooperative? Or would things spiral into chaos?
That’s exactly the thought experiment Hobbes wants us to try. In this excerpt from Leviathan, Hobbes describes what life looks like in a “state of nature”—and spoiler: it’s not pretty. He sees humans as driven by self-interest, and without rules, he thinks we’d all be in constant conflict.
But Hobbes isn’t just being pessimistic—he’s building a case for why we need government in the first place. Through the idea of a social contract, he explains how people can escape that chaos by agreeing to follow common rules and give up some freedoms in exchange for peace, safety, and justice.
As you read, think about your own ideas of justice. Is it something natural—or something we create through laws and social agreement? And how much power should a government have to keep the peace?
Guiding Questions
- What does Hobbes mean by the “state of nature,” and why is it so dangerous?
- How does the social contract create justice, according to Hobbes?
- What role does the “Leviathan” (strong authority) play in maintaining order?
- Do you agree with Hobbes’ view of human nature? Why or why not?
