Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Leviathan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Nature, War, and Civil Society
Power, Common-wealths, and Monarchies
Religion
Fear
Reason, Fact, and Philosophy
Summary
Analysis
Hobbes begins this chapter with a short recap of the main points he has made thus far. The condition of nature is one of war, and the Laws of Nature function to avoid this war. Without a sovereign power, a common-wealth cannot stand, and the subjects of a common-wealth must be obedient to the sovereign in all ways, provided that obedience does not violate the “Lawes of God.” Thus, it is necessary to also know the laws of God, so one does not offend God with too much obedience to the sovereign or offend the common-wealth with too much obedience to God.
Hobbes argues that geometry is an infallible philosophy because it establishes the terms and definitions of one step before moving onto the next. As each step is grounded in fact, each argument the philosophy makes is therefore absolute. Hobbes follows the very same structure in Leviathan and frequently recaps his points for good measure. As Hobbes grounds each argument in definitions, he reasons that his philosophy, like geometry, is infallible.
Themes
All people are subjects of “Divine Power,” even if they deny the existence of God. “[M]en may shake off their Ease,” Hobbes says, “but not their Yoke.” For scripture says: “God is King though the Nations be angry; and he that sitteth on the Cherubins, though the earth be moved.” Those who believe in God’s power and reign are said to be his subjects, while all others are enemies.
Hobbes implies that God has supreme power over people, even if they don’t believe in God or practice religion. In this sense, God is the metaphorical “Yoke” that binds everyone, even if a person casts it off. To prove his point, Hobbes quotes Psalms 96:1 and 98:1, which gives his argument authority in the eyes of his religious audience.
Themes
Laws must be sufficiently made known to subjects, and God’s laws are no different. God declares his laws in three ways: through “Naturall Reason,” by “Revelation,” and by the voice of another through the manifestation of a miracle. In other words, Hobbes explains, God’s laws are declared through “Right Reason, Sense Supernaturall, and Faith.” Furthermore, there is what Hobbes’s calls a “two-fold Kingdome” of God. One kingdom is natural, and the other is prophetic. God’s natural kingdom is ruled by the “natural Dictate of Right Reason,” whereas the prophetic kingdom is ruled by holy prophets. Hobbes will speak only of God’s natural kingdom.
According to Hobbes, the Laws of Nature and the laws of God are one and the same because the Laws of Nature entail the rights that God gave to humans. The Laws of Nature are not naturally known but are learned through reason. Reason is God’s gift to humankind, and everything one discovers with said reason is thereby God’s gift. Hobbes’s argument is focused on nature and humans (God’s natural kingdom), not Heaven (God’s prophetic kingdom).
Themes
God gathers his sovereign power from his omnipotence, or “Irresistible Power.” Punishment is generally understood to come from sin; however, the right to afflict punishment comes from God’s power, not the sin. This distinction explains why sinners sometimes prosper and good people suffer. God’s “Divine Lawes, or Dictates of Natural Reason,” outline the duties of his subjects, to each other and to God, and these laws include the Laws of Nature defined earlier in the book and the moral virtues of “Equity, Justice, Mercy, [and] Humility.” These laws are dictated to God’s subjects via their own natural ability to reason and do not require the actual words of God.
Hobbes says earlier in the book that the Laws of Nature can be boiled down to what basically amounts to the Golden Rule, which is to treat everyone as one would want to be treated. This belief in turn aligns with the moral virtues of “Equity, Justice, Mercy, [and] Humility.” God doesn’t actually communicate these laws through words and commands; instead, God gives humans the ability to reason so they can figure such laws out by themselves.
Themes
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Honor consists of one’s opinion of a higher power or the goodness of another, and it is the duty of all God’s subjects to honor God, which means they must hold the highest possible opinion of him. Furthermore, this honor must be expressed through outward signs known as worship. Honor comes from passions such as love, hope, and fear, and worship comes in the form of praise and blessing. Worship can be either natural (meaning it is spontaneous, like saying a prayer or giving thanks), or it is arbitrary and ordered by institution and custom.
Hobbes implies that worship ordered by institution and custom, as worship is in organized religions like Catholicism and Protestantism, is arbitrary and has nothing to do with God, other than being done in his name. Thus, worship that is spontaneous, independent, and not affiliated with any one church or institution is closer to God.
Themes
Subjects of God are to honor God’s existence, as it is impossible to honor that which does not exist. God must be understood as the cause of the world and all things in it. To deny the creation of the world and claim the world has existed eternally is also to deny God. Similarly, to ease one’s fear and love of God is to dishonor God, as fear and love are central to honor. It is also a dishonor to claim God is “Finite” in any way. If it is possible to attribute more to God, it should always be done, and “Finite” implies more can be attributed.
Again, fear is central to one’s obedience to God, just as fear is central to one’s obedience to a sovereign power. As fear keeps one obedient, it is often encouraged and utilized within religion and Holy Scripture, which illustrates how ubiquitous and motivating fear can be. As God is omnipotent and has infinite power, he can never be described and understood in finite terms. Thus, human beings, who can only understand that which is finite, can never fully understand God’s power.
Themes
Refusing to swear by God is likewise a sign of honor, and so is speaking of God with consideration. Prayers and offerings of thanks that are well composed impart more honor than prayers that are “light” or “Plebeian.” God can be worshiped and honored in secret, but he must also be worshipped and honored in public and in full view of others. However, obedience to the Laws of Nature is the greatest possible form of worship and honor there is.
Obedience to the Laws of Nature is the greatest from of worship because the Laws of Nature are rooted in morality, equality, and humility, which are also God’s laws. Prayers that are “Plebian” are those written by non-Christians. A plebian is generally considered to be uncultured, and here, a plebian is also unversed in God.
Themes
