Leviathan By Thomas Hobbes
Leviathan Or The Matter, Forme, and Power Of A Common-wealth Ecclesiastical And Civill Thomas Hobbes Of Malmesbury Printed For Andrew Crooke, At The Green Dragon In St. Paul’s Churchyard, 1651.
To My Most Honor’d Friend Mr. Francis Godolphin Of Godolphin
Honor’d Sir.
Your most worthy Brother Mr SIDNEY GODOLPHIN, when he lived, was pleas’d to think my studies something, and otherwise to oblige me, as you know, with reall testimonies of his good opinion, great in themselves, and the greater for the worthinesse of his person. For there is not any vertue that disposeth a man, either to the service of God, or to the service of his Country, to Civill Society, or private Friendship, that did not manifestly appear in his conversation, not as acquired by necessity, or affected upon occasion, but inhaerent, and shining in a generous constitution of his nature.
Therefore in honour and gratitude to him, and with devotion to your selfe, I humbly Dedicate unto you this my discourse of Common-wealth. I know not how the world will receive it, nor how it may reflect on those that shall seem to favour it. For in a way beset with those that contend on one side for too great Liberty, and on the other side for too much Authority, ’tis hard to passe between the points of both unwounded.
But yet, me thinks, the endeavour to advance the Civill Power, should not be by the Civill Power condemned; nor private men, by reprehending it, declare they think that Power too great. Besides, I speak not of the men, but (in the Abstract) of the Seat of Power, (like to those simple and unpartiall creatures in the Roman Capitol, that with their noyse defended those within it, not because they were they, but there) offending none, I think, but those without, or such within (if there be any such) as favour them.
That which perhaps may most offend, are certain Texts of Holy Scripture, alledged by me to other purpose than ordinarily they use to be by others. But I have done it with due submission, and also (in order to my Subject) necessarily; for they are the Outworks of the Enemy, from whence they impugne the Civill Power. If notwithstanding this, you find my labour generally decryed, you may be pleased to excuse your selfe, and say that I am a man that love my own opinions, and think all true I say, that I honoured your Brother, and honour you, and have presum’d on that, to assume the Title (without your knowledge) of being, as I am,
Sir,
Your most humble, and most obedient servant, Thomas Hobbes.
Paris APRILL 15/25 1651.
Contents
The Introduction
Part I. Of Man
Chapter I. Of Sense
Chapter II. Of Imagination
Chapter III. Of The Consequence Or Trayne Of Imaginations
Chapter IV. Of Speech
Chapter V. Of Reason, And Science
Chapter VI. Of The Interiour Beginnings Of Voluntary Motions Commonly Called The Passions, And The Speeches By Which They Are Expressed
Chapter VII. Of The Ends Or Resolutions Of Discourse
Chapter VIII. Of The Vertues Commonly Called Intellectual, And Their Contrary Defects
Chapter IX. The Severall Subjects Of Knowledge
Chapter X. Of Power, Worth, Dignity, Honour And Worthiness
Chapter XI. Of The Difference Of Manners
Chapter XII. Of Religion
Chapter XIII. Of The Naturall Condition Of Mankind, As Concerning Their Felicity, And Misery
Chapter XIV. Of The First And Second Naturall Lawes, And Of Contracts
Chapter XV. Of Other Lawes Of Nature
Chapter XVI. Of Persons, Authors, And Things Personated
Part II. Of Common-Wealth
Chapter XVII. Of The Causes, Generation, And Definition Of A Common-Wealth
Chapter XVIII. Of The Rights Of Soveraignes By Institution
Chapter XIX. Of The Severall Kinds Of Common-wealth By Institution, And Of Succession To The Soveraigne Power
Chapter XX. Of Dominion Paternall And Despoticall
Chapter XXI. Of The Liberty Of Subjects
Chapter XXII. Of Systemes Subject, Politicall, And Private
Chapter XXIII. Of The Publique Ministers Of Soveraign Power
Chapter XXIV. Of The Nutrition, And Procreation Of A Common-Wealth
Chapter XXV. Of Counsell
Chapter XXVI. Of Civill Lawes
Chapter XXVII. Of Crimes, Excuses, And Extenuations
Chapter XXVIII. Of Punishments, And Rewards
Chapter XXIX. Of Those Things That Weaken, Or Tend To The Dissolution Of A Common-Wealth
Chapter XXX. Of The Office Of The Soveraign Representative
Chapter XXXI. Of The Kingdome Of God By Nature
Part III. Of A Christian Common-Wealth
Chapter XXXII. Of The Principles Of Christian Politiques
Chapter XXXIII. Of The Number, Antiquity, Scope, Authority, And Interpreters Of The Books Of Holy Scripture
Chapter XXXIV. Of The Signification Of Spirit, Angel, And Inspiration In The Books Of Holy Scripture
Chapter XXXV. Of The Signification In Scripture Of Kingdome Of God, Of Holy, Sacred, And Sacrament
Chapter XXXVI. Of The Word Of God, And Of Prophets
Chapter XXXVII. Of Miracles, And Their Use
Chapter XXXVIII. Of The Signification In Scripture Of Eternall Life, Hell, Salvation, The World To Come, And Redemption
Chapter XXXIX. Of The Signification In Scripture Of The Word Church
Chapter XL. Of The Rights Of The Kingdome Of God, In Abraham, Moses, High Priests, And The Kings Of Judah
Chapter XLI. Of The Office Of Our Blessed Saviour
Chapter XLII. Of Power Ecclesiasticall
Chapter XLIII. Of What Is Necessary For A Mans Reception Into The Kingdome Of Heaven
Part IV. Of The Kindome Of Darknesse
Chapter XLIV. Of Spirituall Darknesse From Misinterpretation Of Scripture
Chapter XLV. Of Daemonology, And Other Reliques Of The Religion Of The Gentiles
Chapter XLVI. Of Darknesse From Vain Philosophy, And Fabulous Traditions
Chapter XLVII. Of The Benefit That Proceedeth From Such Darknesse, And To Whom It Accreweth He That Receiveth Benefit By A Fact, Is Presumed To Be The Author
A Review, And Conclusion
The Introduction
Nature (the art whereby God hath made and governes the world) is by the art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it can make an Artificial Animal. For seeing life is but a motion of Limbs, the begining whereof is in some principall part within; why may we not say, that all Automata (Engines that move themselves by springs and wheeles as doth a watch) have an artificiall life?
For what is the Heart, but a Spring; and the Nerves, but so many Strings; and the Joynts, but so many Wheeles, giving motion to the whole Body, such as was intended by the Artificer? Art goes yet further, imitating that Rationall and most excellent worke of Nature, Man. For by Art is created that great LEVIATHAN called a COMMON-WEALTH, or STATE, (in latine CIVITAS) which is but an Artificiall Man; though of greater stature and strength than the Naturall, for whose protection and defence it was intended; and in which, the Soveraignty is an Artificiall Soul, as giving life and motion to the whole body; The Magistrates, and other Officers of Judicature and Execution, artificiall Joynts; Reward and Punishment (by which fastned to the seat of the Soveraignty, every joynt and member is moved to performe his duty) are the Nerves, that do the same in the Body Naturall; The Wealth and Riches of all the particular members, are the Strength; Salus Populi (the Peoples Safety) its Businesse; Counsellors, by whom all things needfull for it to know, are suggested unto it, are the Memory; Equity and Lawes, an artificiall Reason and Will; Concord, Health; Sedition, Sicknesse; and Civill War, Death. Lastly, the Pacts and Covenants, by which the parts of this Body Politique were at first made, set together, and united, resemble that Fiat, or the Let Us Make Man, pronounced by God in the Creation.
To describe the Nature of this Artificiall man, I will consider
First the Matter thereof, and the Artificer; both which is Man.
Secondly, How, and by what Covenants it is made; what are the Rights and just Power or Authority of a Soveraigne; and what it is that Preserveth and Dissolveth it.
Thirdly, what is a Christian Common-Wealth.
Lastly, what is the Kingdome of Darkness.
Concerning the first, there is a saying much usurped of late, That Wisedome is acquired, not by reading of Books, but of Men. Consequently whereunto, those persons, that for the most part can give no other proof of being wise, take great delight to shew what they think they have read in men, by uncharitable censures of one another behind their backs. But there is another saying not of late understood, by which they might learn truly to read one another, if they would take the pains; and that is, Nosce Teipsum, Read Thy Self: which was not meant, as it is now used, to countenance, either the barbarous state of men in power, towards their inferiors; or to encourage men of low degree, to a sawcie behaviour towards their betters; But to teach us, that for the similitude of the thoughts, and Passions of one man, to the thoughts, and Passions of another, whosoever looketh into himselfe, and considereth what he doth, when he does Think, Opine, Reason, Hope, Feare, &c, and upon what grounds; he shall thereby read and know, what are the thoughts, and Passions of all other men, upon the like occasions.
I say the similitude of Passions, which are the same in all men, Desire, Feare, Hope, &c; not the similitude or The Objects of the Passions, which are the things Desired, Feared, Hoped, &c: for these the constitution individuall, and particular education do so vary, and they are so easie to be kept from our knowledge, that the characters of mans heart, blotted and confounded as they are, with dissembling, lying, counterfeiting, and erroneous doctrines, are legible onely to him that searcheth hearts. And though by mens actions wee do discover their designee sometimes; yet to do it without comparing them with our own, and distinguishing all circumstances, by which the case may come to be altered, is to decypher without a key, and be for
