Leviathan
Chapter 1 · 1/35
Leviathan
Chapter 1
1LEVIATHAN By Thomas Hobbes 1651 LEVIATHAN OR THE MATTER, FORME, & POWER OF A COMMON-WEALTH ECCLESIASTICAL AND CIVILL Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury Printed for Andrew Crooke, at the Green Dragon in St. 2Paul’s Churchyard, 1651. 3TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES ON THE E-TEXT: This E-text was prepared from the Pelican Classics edition of Leviathan, which in turn was prepared from the first edition. 4I 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. 5Hobbes used capitals and italics very extensively, for emphasis, for proper names, for quotations, and sometimes, it seems, just because. 6The original has very extensive margin notes, which are used to show where he introduces the definitions of words and concepts, to give in short the subject that a paragraph or section is dealing with, and to give references to his quotations, largely but not exclusively biblical. 7To some degree, these margin notes seem to have been intended to serve in place of an index, the original having none. 8They are all in italics. 9He also used italics for words in other languages than English, and there are a number of Greek words, in the Greek alphabet, in the text. 10To deal with these within the limits of plain vanilla ASCII, I have done the following in this E-text. 11I have restricted my use of full capitalization to those places where Hobbes used it, except in the chapter headings, which I have fully capitalized, where Hobbes used a mixture of full capitalization and italics. 12Where it is clear that the italics are to indicate the text is quoting, I have introduced quotation marks. 13Within quotation marks I have retained the capitalization that Hobbes used. 14Where italics seem to be used for emphasis, or for proper names, or just because, I have capitalized the initial letter of the words. 15This has the disadvantage that they are not then distinguished from those that Hobbes capitalized in plain text, but the extent of his italics would make the text very ugly if I was to use an underscore or slash. 16Where the margin notes are either to introduce the paragraph subject, or to show where he introduces word definitions, I have included them as headers to the paragraph, again with all words having initial capitals, and on a shortened line. 17For margin references to quotes, I have included them in the text, in brackets immediately next to the quotation. 18Where Hobbes included references in the main text, I have left them as he put them, except to change his square brackets to round. 19For the Greek alphabet, I have simply substituted the nearest ordinary letters that I can, and I have used initial capitals for foreign language words. 20Neither Thomas Hobbes nor his typesetters seem to have had many inhibitions about spelling and punctuation. 21I have tried to reproduce both exactly, with the exception of the introduction of quotation marks. 22In preparing the text, I have found that it has much more meaning if I read it with sub-vocalization, or aloud, rather than trying to read silently. 23Hobbes’ use of emphasis and his eccentric punctuation and construction seem then to work. 24TO MY MOST HONOR’D FRIEND Mr. 25FRANCIS GODOLPHIN of GODOLPHIN HONOR’D SIR. 26Your 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. 27For 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. 28Therefore in honour and gratitude to him, and with devotion to your selfe, I humbly Dedicate unto you this my discourse of Common-wealth. 29I know not how the world will receive it, nor how it may reflect on those that shall seem to favour it. 30For 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. 31But 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. 32Besides, 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. 33That 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. 34But 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. 35If 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. 36Paris APRILL 15/25 1651. 37CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS THE FIRST PART OF MAN INTRODUCTION 1. 38OF SENSE 2. 39OF IMAGINATION 3. 40OF THE CONSEQUENCES OR TRAIN OF IMAGINATIONS 4. 41OF SPEECH 5. 42OF REASON AND SCIENCE 6. 43OF THE INTERIOUR BEGINNINGS OF VOLUNTARY MOTIONS, COMMONLY CALLED THE PASSIONS; AND THE SPEECHES BY WHICH THEY ARE EXPRESSED 7. 44OF THE ENDS OR RESOLUTIONS OF DISCOURSE 8. 45OF THE VERTUES, COMMONLY CALLED INTELLECTUALL, AND THEIR CONTRARY DEFECTS 9. 46OF THE SEVERALL SUBJECTS OF KNOWLEDGE 10. 47OF POWER, WORTH, DIGNITY, HONOUR, AND WORTHINESSE 11. 48OF THE DIFFERENCE OF MANNERS 12. 49OF RELIGION 13. 50OF THE NATURALL CONDITION OF MANKIND AS CONCERNING THEIR FELICITY AND MISERY 14. 51OF THE FIRST AND SECOND NATURALL LAWES, AND OF CONTRACT 15. 52OF OTHER LAWES OF NATURE 16. 53OF PERSONS, AUTHORS, AND THINGS PERSONATED THE SECOND PART OF COMMON-WEALTH 17. 54OF THE CAUSES, GENERATION, AND DEFINITION OF A COMMON-WEALTH 18. 55OF THE RIGHTS OF SOVERAIGNES BY INSTITUTION 19. 56OF SEVERALL KINDS OF COMMON-WEALTH BY INSTITUTION; AND OF SUCCESION TO THE SOVERAIGN POWER 20. 57OF DOMINION PATERNALL, AND DESPOTICALL 21. 58OF THE LIBERTY OF SUBJECTS 22. 59OF SYSTEMES SUBJECT, POLITICALL, AND PRIVATE 23. 60OF THE PUBLIQUE MINISTERS OF SOVERAIGN POWER 24. 61OF THE NUTRITION, AND PROCREATION OF A COMMON-WEALTH 25. 62OF COUNSELL 26. 63OF CIVILL LAWES 27. 64OF CRIMES, EXCUSES, AND EXTENUATIONS 28. 65OF PUNISHMENTS, AND REWARDS 29. 66OF THOSE THINGS THAT WEAKEN, OR TEND TO THE DISSOLUTION OF A COMMON-WEALTH 30. 67OF THE OFFICE OF THE SOVERAIGN REPRESENTATIVE 31. 68OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD BY NATURE THE THIRD PART OF A CHRISTIAN COMMON-WEALTH 32. 69OF THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN POLITIQUES 33. 70OF THE NUMBER, ANTIQUITY, SCOPE, AUTHORITY, AND INTERPRETERS OF THE BOOKS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 34. 71OF THE SIGNIFICATION, OF SPIRIT, ANGELL, AND INSPIRATION IN THE BOOKS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 35. 72OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF THE KINGDOME OF GOD, OF HOLY, SACRED, AND SACRAMENT 36. 73OF THE WORD OF GOD, AND OF PROPHETS 37. 74OF MIRACLES, AND THEIR USE 38. 75OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF ETERNALL LIFE, HEL, SALVATION, THE WORLD TO COME, AND REDEMPTION 39. 76OF THE SIGNIFICATION IN SCRIPTURE OF THE WORD CHURCH 40. 77OF THE RIGHTS OF THE KINGDOME OF GOD, IN ABRAHAM, MOSES, THE HIGH PRIESTS, AND THE KINGS OF JUDAH 41. 78OF THE OFFICE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR 42. 79OF POWER ECCLESIASTICALL 43. 80OF WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR MANS RECEPTION INTO THE KINGDOME OF HEAVEN THE FOURTH PART OF THE KINGDOME OF DARKNESSE 44. 81OF SPIRITUALL DARKNESSE FROM MISINTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE 45. 82OF DAEMONOLOGY, AND OTHER RELIQUES OF THE RELIGION OF THE GENTILES 46. 83OF DARKNESSE FROM VAINE PHILOSOPHY, AND FABULOUS TRADITIONS 47. 84OF THE BENEFIT PROCEEDING FROM SUCH DARKNESSE; AND TO WHOM IT ACCREWETH 48. 85A 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. 86For 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? 87For 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? 88Art goes yet further, imitating that Rationall and most excellent worke of Nature, Man. 89For 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. 90Lastly, 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. 91To describe the Nature of this Artificiall man, I will consider First the Matter thereof, and the Artificer; both which is Man. 92Secondly, 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. 93Thirdly, what is a Christian Common-Wealth. 94Lastly, what is the Kingdome of Darkness. 95Concerning the first, there is a saying much usurped of late, That Wisedome is acquired, not by reading of Books, but of Men. 96Consequently 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. 97But 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. 98I 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. 99And 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 the most part deceived, by too much trust, or by too much diffidence; as he that reads, is himselfe a good or evill man. 100But let one man read another by his actions never so perfectly, it serves him onely with his acquaintance, which are but few. 101He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himselfe, not this, or that particular man; but Man-kind; which though it be hard to do, harder than to learn any Language, or Science; yet, when I shall have set down my own reading orderly, and perspicuously, the pains left another, will be onely to consider, if he also find not the same in himselfe. 102For this kind of Doctrine, admitteth no other Demonstration.
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