Religion is a central theme in Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan. The title of the book is itself a religious reference: Leviathan is a biblical sea creature from the Book of Job whose image is often used within Christianity as a metaphor for the power of people united as one. In the epistle dedicatory of Leviathan addressed to Hobbes’s friend and Member of Parliament, Mr. Francis Godolphin, Hobbes admits that his treatment of scripture will likely offend many readers, as he approaches God and holy doctrine differently than readers may be used to. Hobbes contends that scripture has largely been misinterpreted, much to the detriment of the common-wealth, and he offers a completely new approach to religion and civil society. Hobbes is critical of religion in all its forms, and his opinions earned him a reputation as an atheist in his own time; however, Hobbes nevertheless contends that religion has an important place in the common-wealth. Through Leviathan, Hobbes explores and debates the role and purpose of religion in civil society, and while he maintains that religion is necessary in a common-wealth, he ultimately argues that subjects of a common-wealth must honor and obey their earthly, sovereign political power above God.
Throughout much of Leviathan, Hobbes is quite critical of religion—especially Christianity, and Catholicism in particular—which he argues is, at times, downright ridiculous. In Hobbes’s explanation of humankind and imagination, he argues that “Fayries, and walking Ghosts” exist only “to keep in credit the use of Exorcism, of Crosses, of holy Water, and other such inventions of Ghostly men.” In other words, ghosts and other supernatural beings exist only to convince others of religious doctrine, especially Catholic doctrine, which believes in possession by demonic forces and the power of exorcism. In Hobbes’s account of reason and words, he explains insignificant speech and the abuse of words, which he refers to as “Absurdity.” Absurd words are those put together that have “no signification at all,” like “the Trinity” and “Transubstantiation.” The Trinity is a reference to Christian doctrine that maintains God is three holy beings—the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Transubstantiation is the conversion of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, which Hobbes argues is just as absurd as the Trinity. A single entity can never be three, and bread and wine can never be transformed into flesh and blood. According to Hobbes, the “kind of Absurdity” religious doctrine espouses “may rightly be numbred amongst the many sorts of Madnesse” and defects that plague the intellect and imagination of human beings. In his view, the nonsense and ghostly creations common in religious doctrine make it “unintelligible” to reasonable people.
Despite his rather harsh assessment of religion, Hobbes maintains that religion and God are an integral part of the human experience and of the common-wealth. Hobbes argues that human beings are each endowed with the “Right of Nature,” which gives each person equal right to nature and to self-preservation, and this right is given to the people by God. Hobbes admits that God created Earth for the benefit of humankind; thus, everything humankind has accomplished is due to this gift. As Hobbes explains covenants, or contracts, between individual people, he says that an oath may be sworn before God in the creation of a contract. This oath, however, does nothing to strengthen the obligation. “For a Covenant, if lawfull,” Hobbes argues, “binds in the sight of God, without the Oath, as much with it.” For Hobbes, a covenant—the very foundation of a common-wealth—is always made in the eyes of God. While Hobbes argues that religion is often absurd, he maintains that “all manner of men do so believe in God, as to hold all for truth they heare him say, whether they understand it, or not; which is all the Faith and trust can possibly be had in any person whatsoever: But they do not all believe in the Doctrine of the Creed.” This belief in God, not in doctrine, guides the decisions and actions of people—and for many, God is the supreme authority and judge.
While Hobbes understands and commends this deep belief and reverence for God, he warns that such devotion can be harmful to the common-wealth. According to Hobbes, “Temporall and Spirituall Government, are but two words brought into the world, to make men see double, and mistake their Lawfull Soveraign.” Hobbes admits that God is the supreme authority and judge in Heaven; but on Earth, in a common-wealth, the sovereign power is the supreme authority and judge, regardless of the sovereign’s own religion. “There are Christians, in the Dominions of severall Princes and States; but every one of them is subject to that Common-wealth, whereof he is himself a member; and consequently, cannot be subject to the commands of any other Person,” even if that “person” is God. To hold anyone in a position of authority over the sovereign power, Hobbes argues, contradicts the purpose of the common-wealth and returns the people back to a state of war.
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Religion Quotes in Leviathan
To describe the Nature of the Artificiall man, I will consider
First, the Matter thereof, and the Artificer; both
which is Man.
Secondly, 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.
Thirdly, what is a Christian Common-wealth.
Lastly, what is the Kingdome of Darkness.
Yet still the object is one thing, the image or fancy is another. So that Sense in all cases, is nothing els but originall fancy, caused (as I have said) by the pressure, that is, by the motion, of externall things upon our Eyes, Eares, and other organs thereunto ordained.
From this ignorance of how to distinguish Dreams, and other strong Fancies, from Vision and Sense, did arise the greatest part of the Religion of the Gentiles in time past, that worshipped Satyres, Fawnes, Nymphs, and the like; and now adayes the opinion that rude people have Fayries, Ghosts, and Goblins; […] And for Fayries, and walking Ghosts, the opinion of them has I think been on purpose, either taught, or not confuted, to keep in credit the use of Exorcisme, of Crosses, of holy Water, and other such inventions of Ghostly men.
Whatsoever we imagine, is Finite. Therefore there is no Idea, or conception of anything we call Infinite. No man can have in his mind in Image of infinite magnitude; nor conceive infinite swiftness, infinite time, or infinite force, or infinite power. When we say any thing is infinite, we signifie onely, that we are not able to conceive the ends, and bounds of the thing named; having no Conception of the thing, but of our own inability. And therefore the Name of God is used, not to make us conceive him; (for he is Incomprehensible; and his greatnesse, and power are unconceivable;) but that we many honour him. Also because whatsoever (as I said before,) we conceive, has been perceived first by sense, either all at once, or by parts; a man can have no thought, representing any thing, not subject to sense.
Another, when men make a name of two Names, whose significations are contradictory and inconsistent; as this name, an incorporeall body, or (which is all one) an incorporeall substance, and a great number more. For whensoever any affirmation is false, the two names of which it is composed, put together and made one, signifie nothing at all.
And words whereby we conceive nothing but the sound, are those we call Absurd, Insignificant, and Non-sense. And therefore if a man should talk to me of a round Quadrangle; or accidents of Bread in Cheese; or Immateriall Substances; or of A free Subject; A free-Will; or any Free, but free from being hindered by opposition, I should not say he were in an Errour; but that his words were without meaning; that is to say, Absurd.
But by Beleeving in, as it is in the Creed, is meant, not trust in the Person; but Confession and acknowledgement of the Doctrine. For not onely Christians, but all manner of men do so believe in God, as to hold all for truth they heare him say, whether they understand it, or not; which is all the Faith and trust can possibly be had in any person whatsoever: But they do not all believe the Doctrine of the Creed.
And therefore the voluntary actions, and inclinations of all men, tend, not only to the procuring, but also to the assuring of a contented life; and differ onely in the way: which ariseth partly from the diversity of passions, in divers men; and partly from the difference of the knowledge, or opinion each one has of the causes, which produce the effect desired.
And in these foure things, Opinion of Ghosts, Ignorance of second cause, Devotion towards what men fear, and Taking of things Casuall for Prognostiques, consisteth the Naturall seed of Religion; which by reason of the different Fancies, Judgements, and Passions of severall men, hath grown up into ceremonies so different, that those which are used by one man, are for the most part ridiculous to another.
But where God himselfe, by supernaturall Revelation, planted Religion; there he also made to himself a peculiar Kindgome; and gave Lawes, not only of behavior towards himself; but also towards one another; and thereby in the Kingdome of God, the Policy, and lawes Civill, are a part of Religion; and therefore the distinction of Temporall, and Spirituall Domination, hath there no place. It is true, that God is King of all the Earth; Yet may he be King of a peculiar, and chosen Nation.
For who is there that does not see, to whose benefit it conduceth, to have it believed, that a King hath not his Authority from Christ, unlesse a Bishop crown him? That a King, if he be a Priest, cannot Marry? That whether a Prince be born in lawfull Marriage, or not, must be judged by Authority from Rome? That Subjects may be freed from their Alleageance, if by the Court of Rome, the King be judged a Heretique? That a King (as Chilperique of France) may be deposed by a Pope (as Pope Zachary,) for no cause; and his Kingdome given to one of his Subjects?
The Passions that encline men to Peace, are Feare of Death; Desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a Hope by their Industry to obtain them. And Reason suggesteth convenient Articles of Peace, upon which men may be drawn to agreement. These Articles, are they, which otherwise are called the Lawes of Nature: whereof I shall speak of more particularly, in the two following chapters.
Of which, this is one, That a man to obtain a Kingdome, is sometimes content with lesse Power, that to the Peace, and defence of the Common-wealth is necessarily required.
To the contrary, I find the Kingdome of God, to signifie in most places of Scripture, a Kingdome properly so named, constituted by the Votes of the People of Israel in peculiar manner; wherein they chose God for their King by Covenant made with him, upon Gods promising them the possession of the land of Canaan; and but seldom metaphorically; and then it is taken for Dominion over sinne; (and only in the New Testament;) because such a Dominion as that, every Subject shall have in the Kingdome of God, and without prejudice to the Soveraign.
This considered, the Kingdome of Darknesse, as it is set forth in these, and other places of the Scripture, is nothing else but a Confederacy of Deceivers, that to obtain dominion over men in this present world, endeavor by dark, and erroneous Doctrines, to extinguish in them the Light, both of Nature, and of the Gospell; and so to dis-prepare them for the Kingdome of God to come.
To this, and such like resemblances between the Papacy, and the Kingdome of Fairies, may be added this, that as the Fairies have no existence, but in the Fancies of ignorant people, rising from the Traditions of old Wives, or old Poets: so the Spirituall Power of the Pope (without the bounds of his own Civil Dominion) consisteth onely in the Fear that Seduced people stand in, of the Excommunication; upon hearing of false Miracles, false Traditions, and false Interpretations of the Scripture.
