Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan

In Leviathan, arguably one of the most transcendent political pieces written in the English language, Thomas Hobbes vindicates that state sovereignty, and the suppression of the brutish state of nature, is best achieved through the monopolization of power. This “common power” (Hobbes, 109), commonwealth, or Leviathan, may either be exercised by “one man, or upon an assembly of man”, which is where Machiavelli’s division of republics and principalities may be drawn in. The definitions are limited as such: a principality is a state ruled by an individual, and a republic is one ruled pluralistically. The essay will establish the basic similarities between the leviathan and principalities, followed by republics, and will conclude in assessing its position as a different political system. Ultimately, I contend that the Leviathan is ambiguous in nature; it may either be a monarchy, democracy, or aristocracy. Nevertheless, it strictly imposes that ultimate power be contained by a single sovereign force, which, in any case, makes it an absolutist form of government.

Throughout the book, principally in chapters XVII through XXII, Hobbes establishes some of the many characteristics of the Leviathan. When speaking of the Leviathan, Hobbes reduces it to a single entity. This is how Hobbes takes the first step towards Machiavelli’s concept of principalities. Whether it be a single person, or single assembly of a few individuals, Hobbes’ singularizing of the Leviathan shows that state power is ultimately contained in a single branch of government. Any responsibility, be it political, social, etc., is therefore shouldered by him: the sovereign. In a principality, the central political actor is the prince. Machiavelli, and Hobbes alike, conten...

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...verarching constants of the Leviathan are as follow. It must function by way of a single, sovereign power, be it a united general assembly, or an autonomous leader. This power must be exercised with respect to the single covenant. Any concerns that transcend the covenant are to be dealt with by the single sovereign, the ultimate, omnipotent political force. The fundamental constant is one of singularity; all peoples, institutions, and interests must be condensed to their most basic and unified form. In doing so, politics will interconnect the relation between the State and the Sovereign, allowing for mutual benefit, a thought which lends itself to modern liberalism. Hobbes acknowledges that “no discourse whatsoever, can end in absolute knowledge of Fact” (Hobbes, 35), and making the Leviathan an interpretational, and conditional political framework above all else.