Leviathan (Penguin English Library)

Viewingpoliticsasasciencecapableofthesameaxiomaticapproachasmathematics,ThomasHobbes'sLeviathanretainsitsappealforthemodernreader,notjustinitselevationofpoliticstoascience,butinitsoverridingconcernforpeace.ThisPenguinClassicseditioniseditedwithanintroductionbyC.B.Macpherson.WrittenduringtheturmoiloftheEnglishCivilWar,Leviathanisanambitiousandhighlyoriginalworkofpoliticalphilosophy.Claimingthatman'sessentialnatureiscompetitiveandselfish,Hobbesformulatesthecaseforapowerfulsovereignor'Leviathan'toenforcepeaceandthelaw,substitutingsecurityforthe'solitary,poor,nasty,brutish,andshort'lifehebelievedhumanbeingswouldotherwiseexperience.ThisworldviewshockedmanyofHobbes'scontemporaries,andhisworkwaspubliclyburntforseditionandblasphemywhenitwasfirstpublished.ButinhisrejectionofAristotle'sviewofmanasanaturallysocialbeing,andinhispainstakinganalysisofthewaysinwhichsocietycanandshouldfunction,Hobbesopenedupanewworldofpoliticalscience.Basedontheoriginal1651text,thiseditionincorporatesHobbes'sowncorrections,whilealsoretainingtheoriginalspellingandpunctuation,andreadswithvividnessandclarity.C.BMacpherson'sintroductionelucidatesforthegeneralreaderoneofthemostfascinatingworksofmodernphilosophy.ThomasHobbes(1588-1679)wasanEnglishphilosopherandpoliticaltheorist,oneofthefirstmodernWesternthinkerstoprovideasecularjustificationforthepoliticalstate.Regardedasanimportantearlyinfluenceonthephilosophicaldoctrineofutilitarianism,Hobbesalsocontributedtomodernpsychologyandlaidthefoundationsofmodernsociology.IfyouenjoyedLeviathan,youmightenjoyPlato'sRepublic,alsoavailableinPenguinClassics.