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Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes

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This E-text was prepared from the Pelican Classics edition of Leviathan, which in turn was prepared from the first edition. I have tried to follow as closely as possible the original, and to give the flavour of the text that Hobbes himself proof-read, but the following differences were unavoidable.…

Details

  • AuthorThomas Hobbes
  • SourceProject Gutenberg #3207
  • Length211,377 words
  • Chapters182
  • DictionaryNot yet generated
  • CopyrightPublic domain in the United States
  • Source checked2026-08-21

Contents

182 chapters

Recovered from the original source text, so you can open the book at any of them.

  1. 01By Thomas Hobbes
  2. 02Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury
  3. 035. OF REASON AND SCIENCE
  4. 047. OF THE ENDS OR RESOLUTIONS OF DISCOURSE
  5. 0512. OF RELIGION
  6. 06OF COMMON-WEALTH
  7. 0718. OF THE RIGHTS OF SOVERAIGNES BY INSTITUTION
  8. 0828. OF PUNISHMENTS, AND REWARDS
  9. 0932. OF THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN POLITIQUES
  10. 1037. OF MIRACLES, AND THEIR USE
  11. 1139. OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF THE WORD CHURCH
  12. 1242. OF POWER ECCLESIASTICALL
  13. 13OF THE KINGDOME OF DARKNESSE
  14. 14THE INTRODUCTION
  15. 15CHAPTER I. OF SENSE
  16. 16CHAPTER II. OF IMAGINATION
  17. 17Memory
  18. 18Dreams
  19. 19Apparitions Or Visions
  20. 20Understanding
  21. 21CHAPTER III. OF THE CONSEQUENCE OR TRAYNE OF IMAGINATIONS
  22. 22Trayne Of Thoughts Unguided
  23. 23Trayne Of Thoughts Regulated
  24. 24Remembrance
  25. 25Prudence
  26. 26Signes
  27. 27Conjecture Of The Time Past
  28. 28Originall Of Speech
  29. 29The Use Of Speech
  30. 30Abuses Of Speech
  31. 31Names Proper & Common Universall
  32. 32Subject To Names
  33. 33Use Of Names Positive
  34. 34Negative Names With Their Uses
  35. 35Words Insignificant
  36. 36Understanding
  37. 37Inconstant Names
  38. 38Reason What It Is
  39. 39Reason Defined
  40. 40Right Reason Where
  41. 41The Use Of Reason
  42. 42Of Error And Absurdity
  43. 43Causes Of Absurditie
  44. 44Science
  45. 45Prudence & Sapience, With Their Difference
  46. 46Signes Of Science
  47. 47CHAPTER VI. OF THE INTERIOUR BEGINNINGS OF VOLUNTARY MOTIONS
  48. 48Motion Vitall And Animal
  49. 49Endeavour; Appetite; Desire; Hunger; Thirst; Aversion
  50. 50Contempt
  51. 51Good Evill
  52. 52Delight Displeasure
  53. 53Pleasure Offence
  54. 54Liberality-- Magnanimity in the use of Riches, LIBERALITY
  55. 55The Will
  56. 56Formes Of Speech, In Passion
  57. 57Good And Evill Apparent
  58. 58Felicity
  59. 59Praise Magnification
  60. 60CHAPTER VII. OF THE ENDS OR RESOLUTIONS OF DISCOURSE
  61. 61Judgement, or Sentence Final; Doubt
  62. 62Science Opinion Conscience
  63. 63Beliefe Faith
  64. 64Intellectuall Vertue Defined
  65. 65Wit, Naturall, Or Acquired
  66. 66Good Wit, Or Fancy; Good Judgement; Discretion
  67. 67Prudence
  68. 68Craft
  69. 69Acquired Wit
  70. 70Giddinesse Madnesse
  71. 71Rage
  72. 72Melancholy
  73. 73Insignificant Speech
  74. 74CHAPTER IX. OF THE SEVERALL SUBJECTS OF KNOWLEDGE
  75. 75PHILOSOPHIA PRIMA
  76. 76METEOROLOGY
  77. 77SCIOGRAPHY
  78. 78ASTROLOGY
  79. 79MUSIQUE
  80. 80Power
  81. 81Worth
  82. 82Dignity
  83. 83To Honour and Dishonour
  84. 84Titles of Honour
  85. 85Worthinesse Fitnesse
  86. 86What Is Here Meant By Manners
  87. 87A Restlesse Desire Of Power, In All Men
  88. 88Love Of Contention From Competition
  89. 89Civil Obedience From Love Of Ease
  90. 90From Feare Of Death Or Wounds
  91. 91And From Love Of Arts
  92. 92Love Of Vertue, From Love Of Praise
  93. 93Hate, From Difficulty Of Requiting Great Benefits
  94. 94And From Conscience Of Deserving To Be Hated
  95. 95Promptnesse To Hurt, From Fear
  96. 96And From Distrust Of Their Own Wit
  97. 97Vain Undertaking From Vain-glory
  98. 98Ambition, From Opinion Of Sufficiency
  99. 99Irresolution, From Too Great Valuing Of Small Matters
  100. 100And From The Ignorance Of Naturall Causes
  101. 101And From Want Of Understanding
  102. 102Credulity From Ignorance Of Nature
  103. 103Curiosity To Know, From Care Of Future Time
  104. 104Naturall Religion, From The Same
  105. 105Religion, In Man Onely
  106. 106First, From His Desire Of Knowing Causes
  107. 107From The Consideration Of The Beginning Of Things
  108. 108From His Observation Of The Sequell Of Things
  109. 109And Suppose Them Incorporeall
  110. 110But Honour Them As They Honour Men
  111. 111And Attribute To Them All Extraordinary Events
  112. 112Foure Things, Naturall Seeds Of Religion
  113. 113Made Different By Culture
  114. 114The Absurd Opinion Of Gentilisme
  115. 115The Causes Of Change In Religion
  116. 116Injoyning Beleefe Of Impossibilities
  117. 117Doing Contrary To The Religion They Establish
  118. 118Want Of The Testimony Of Miracles
  119. 119From Equality Proceeds Diffidence
  120. 120From Diffidence Warre
  121. 121The Incommodities Of Such A War
  122. 122In Such A Warre, Nothing Is Unjust
  123. 123The Passions That Incline Men To Peace
  124. 124Right Of Nature What
  125. 125Liberty What
  126. 126A Law Of Nature What
  127. 127Naturally Every Man Has Right To Everything
  128. 128The Fundamental Law Of Nature
  129. 129The Second Law Of Nature
  130. 130What it is to lay down a Right
  131. 131Not All Rights Are Alienable
  132. 132Contract What
  133. 133Covenant What
  134. 134Free-gift
  135. 135Signes Of Contract Expresse
  136. 136Signes Of Contract By Inference
  137. 137Merit What
  138. 138Covenants Of Mutuall Trust, When Invalid
  139. 139No Covenant With Beasts
  140. 140Nor With God Without Speciall Revelation
  141. 141No Covenant, But Of Possible And Future
  142. 142Covenants How Made Voyd
  143. 143Covenants Extorted By Feare Are Valide
  144. 144No Man Obliged To Accuse Himselfe
  145. 145No Oath, But By God
  146. 146An Oath Addes Nothing To The Obligation
  147. 147The Third Law Of Nature, Justice
  148. 148Justice And Injustice What
  149. 149Justice Not Contrary To Reason
  150. 150Justice Of Men, And Justice Of Actions What
  151. 151Justice Of Manners, And Justice Of Actions
  152. 152Justice Commutative, And Distributive
  153. 153The Fourth Law Of Nature, Gratitude
  154. 154The Fifth, Mutuall accommodation, or Compleasance
  155. 155The Sixth, Facility To Pardon
  156. 156The Eighth, Against Contumely
  157. 157The Ninth, Against Pride
  158. 158The Tenth Against Arrogance
  159. 159The Eleventh Equity
  160. 160The Twelfth, Equall Use Of Things Common
  161. 161The Thirteenth, Of Lot
  162. 162The Fourteenth, Of Primogeniture, And First Seising
  163. 163The Fifteenth, Of Mediators
  164. 164The Sixteenth, Of Submission To Arbitrement
  165. 165The Seventeenth, No Man Is His Own Judge
  166. 166The Nineteenth, Of Witnesse
  167. 167And Yet Easie
  168. 168A Person What
  169. 169Person Naturall, And Artificiall
  170. 170The Word Person, Whence
  171. 171Actor, Author; Authority
  172. 172Covenants By Authority, Bind The Author
  173. 173But Not The Actor
  174. 174The Authority Is To Be Shewne
  175. 175Things Personated, Inanimate
  176. 176Irrational
  177. 177False Gods
  178. 178The True God
  179. 179A Multitude Of Men, How One Person
  180. 180Every One Is Author
  181. 181Representatives, When The Number Is Even, Unprofitable
  182. 182Negative Voyce

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