# Leviathan explained — Leviathan

> Chapter companion for Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.

## What happens

The opening of Hobbes's Leviathan introduces the work's central concern: the matter, form, and power of a commonwealth, both ecclesiastical and civil. It sets the stage for a systematic inquiry into human nature, the social contract, and the necessity of a sovereign authority to prevent the war of all against all.

## Themes in this chapter

### State of Nature and Social Contract

The title and subtitle immediately invoke the need to understand the 'matter' of the commonwealth, implying a foundational state of nature that must be overcome through a social contract.

### Sovereignty and Absolute Power

The work's focus on the 'power of a commonwealth' and the dual authority of 'ecclesiastical and civil' points to the central theme of sovereignty and the absolute power required to maintain order.

## Key lines

> Leviathan Or, The Matter, Form and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil

The book's full title announces its subject: the physical and structural components, the design, and the authority of a political body, covering both religious and secular governance.

_This opening line establishes the scope and ambition of Hobbes's project._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leviathan_se/chapters/leviathan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leviathan_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leviathan_se/chapters