Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes (1651)

Written in Paris exile during the English Civil War, Hobbes's 1651 masterwork argues that outside a sovereign power, life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short' — and that peace requires an absolute commonwealth in which fearful individuals covenant away their natural right to everything in exchange for protection.

Era17th Century / English Civil War
Pages700
Difficulty★★★★★ Expert
AP Appearances6