First edition. First Issue.
Title page with head ornament, marking the first (and only) issue of the first edition.
Thomas Hobbes's Levithan is a seminal work in political philosophy and social theory. In the wake of the English Civil War, Hobbes constructs a compelling argument for the necessity of a strong, centralized authority—or "Leviathan"—to avoid the anarchy and violence he describes as the natural state of mankind. Through rigorous logic and a materialist view of human nature, Hobbes advocates for a social contract in which individuals surrender certain freedoms to a sovereign in exchange for security and order, fundamentally shaping the modern understanding of governance and sovereignty. The work's exploration of the dynamics between liberty, security, and authority raises enduring questions about power, governance, and human nature. Leviathan remains a cornerstone in the study of political science and philosophy, reflecting on the complexities of human society and the structures we construct to manage them.
"... the fundamental nature of his speculation has stimulated philosophers from Spinoza (153) to the school of Bentham (237), who reinstated him in his position as the most original political philosopher of his time." -PMM
Pagination: [iix], 1-248, 247-256, 261-396. Collation: [a1], A-3D4, (folded broadside table).