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The Laws of Nature are agreements or covenants that people are drawn to in order to ensure peace and avoid war. The Laws of Nature are God-given and are revealed through one’s natural ability to reason. There are several Laws of Nature, under which one is not permitted to do anything that is destructive to life. According to the Laws of Nature, one must always strive for peace as long as peace is reasonable, and they must honor all covenants they enter into. Each of the Laws of Nature can be condensed into one single rule: treat others as one would want to be treated themselves. Of course, Hobbes admits that one cannot expect the Laws of Nature to be followed without the creation of a central power to compel others to honor their covenants. Therefore, people moved out of nature and into civil societies and common-wealths to create this central power and ensure peace.
The Laws of Nature Quotes in Leviathan
The Leviathan quotes below are all either spoken by The Laws of Nature or refer to The Laws of Nature. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 13 Quotes
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.
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This passage appears near the end of Hobbes’s chapter on the condition of humankind in nature, and it is significant because it introduces the Laws of Nature and underscores why humankind is opposed to war and nature. According to Hobbes, there are certain “Passions,” or emotions, which every human being has that predispose them to peace, and those emotions include the fear of violent death and the desire for a better life and the things that make such a life possible. It is these “Passions” that drive humans towards peace annd away from nature and a state of war. As Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur
Chapter 14 Quotes
The Right of Nature, which Writers commonly call Jus Naturale, is the Liberty each man hath, to use his own power, as he will himselfe, for the preservation of his own Nature; that is to say, of his own Life; and consequently, of doing any thing, which in his own Judgement, and Reason, hee shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto.
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This passage appears in the chapter that discusses contracts and the Laws of Nature, and it is important because it outlines the universal right that each human being naturally has. Jus Naturale is Latin for “natural law,” and it is a reference to the fundamental ideas of right and wrong inherent in each human being. This natural law, or “Right of Nature,” as Hobbes calls it, is that every human being has the right to preserve their own life through any means necessary or reasonable, and that each person has a natural right to any part of nature that may Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero
Men are freed of their Covenants two ways; by Performing; or by being Forgiven. For Performance, is the naturall end of obligation; and Forgivenesse, the restitution of liberty; as being a retransferring of that Right, in which the obligation consisted.
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This passage outlines the ways in which one is freed of the obligation of a covenant under the Laws of Nature, as well as the circumstances under which a sovereign power is freed from its obligation to a common-wealth. According to Hobbes and the Laws of Nature, one is only freed from the obligation of a covenant once the terms of said covenant are performed and fulfilled, or once the person with whom one enters the covenant rescinds the terms of the contract. In other words, the person to whom rights are transferred in the creation of a covenant cannot Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit.
Chapter 15 Quotes
And in this law of Nature, consisteth the Fountain and Originall of JUSTICE. For where no Covenant hath proceeded, there hath no Right been transferred, and every man has right to every thing; and consequently, no action can be Unjust. But when a Covenant is made, then to break it is Unjust: and the definition of INJUSTICE, is no other than the not Performance of Covenant. And whatsoever is not Unjust, is Just.
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This passage appears in the final chapter discussing the Laws of Nature, and it is important because it underscores Hobbes’s argument that accepted definitions of justice and injustice do not exist. Hobbes argues that in a state of nature, where there exists no covenants and “no Right [has] been transferred,” there can be no right or wrong. In nature, “every man has a right to every thing,” and because of this, nothing is ever “Unjust.” In Hobbes’s view, this proves that definitions and terms can never be fixed and must be defined at the outset, a contention that becomes particularly Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia
Chapter 18 Quotes
Fifthly, and consequently to that which was sayd last, no man that hath Soveraigne power can justly be put to death, or otherwise in any manner by his Subjects punished. For seeing every Subject is Author of the actions of his Soveraigne; he punisheth another, for the actions committed by himselfe.
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This quote, which appears in the chapter in which Hobbes outlines the rights of the sovereign power, reflects the Law of Nature that maintains a sovereign can never be wrong or questioned. The previous rule outlined in this chapter states that no sovereign can ever be punished by a subject for a wrongdoing, and this rule continues that argument. As a sovereign can never be punished, a sovereign can never be lawfully “put to death.” According to the Laws of Nature, since a sovereign is imbued with the power and rights of its subjects, a subject is technically the “Author Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qu
Chapter 29 Quotes
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.
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This passage underscores the primary reason why a common-wealth fails. According to the Laws of Nature, a sovereign power is imbued with all the rights and powers of the subjects of a common-wealth, and that power cannot be divided or diminished; however, Hobbes maintains that sovereign powers of common-wealths, primarily kings, are “content with lesse Power” than the terms of the covenant that binds the common-wealth affords. When a king settles for less power than that which is naturally due him, it is fundamentally at odds with the very purpose of the common-wealth, and it puts the common-wealth in danger Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta
Chapter 44 Quotes
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.
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This quote, which appears in the chapter that focuses on the misinterpretation of Holy Scripture, outlines Hobbes’s definition of the “Kingdome of Darknesse.” According to Hobbes, his definition of the Kingdome of Darkness comes directly from Holy Scripture, which has additional authority with his religious audience. The Kingdome of Darkness is simply those who seek earthly power over others “by dark, and erroneous Doctrines.” This power extinguishes “the Light, both of Nature, and of Gospell,” which means that this evil power violates both God’s law and the Laws of Nature. The Kingdome of Darkness “dis-prepares them for the Kingdome of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inven
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The Laws of Nature Term Timeline in Leviathan
The timeline below shows where the term The Laws of Nature appears in Leviathan. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 13: Of the Naturall Condition of Mankind, as concerning their Felicity, and Misery
...are drawn to agreements or contracts that ensure peace, which Hobbes refers to as the Laws of Nature .
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Chapter 14: Of the first and second NATURALL LAWES, and of CONTRACTS
...life. Everyone is at liberty, which is to say their movements are not obstructed. The Laws of Nature , according to Hobbes, include a “generall Rule, found out by Reason,” under which a...
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...never be any real security for human beings in nature; thus, it is a central Law of Nature that everyone must seek peace as long as peace is reasonable. If peace is deemed...
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Chapter 15: Of other Lawes of Nature
The third Law of Nature is that everyone must perform whatever covenants they enter into. Where there is no covenant...
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...kingdom. Obtaining a kingdom by rebellion is a violation of reason, as it is a Law of Nature never to do anything that is destructive to one’s life.
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The fourth Law of Nature states that one must have gratitude when receiving benefit from another, and the fifth law...
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The eighth Law of Nature is that one should never declare contempt for another by deed or word, and the...
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The tenth Law of Nature states that no one person can reserve a right that is not reserved for the...
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The fifteenth Law of Nature ensures that all who facilitate peace are allowed to do so safely, and the sixteenth...
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There are several Laws of Nature , Hobbes says, but they can be reduced to one simple rule: “Do not that...
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Chapter 17: Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a COMMON-WEALTH
...this love to preserve life and escape the state of war in nature. Since the Laws of Nature cannot be followed without the creation of some central power to compel people to honor...
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Chapter 24: Of the NUTRITION, and PROCREATION of a Common-wealth
...than in the best interest of the common-wealth, which is technically a breach of the Law of Nature ; however, this breech does not authorize a subject to make war on the sovereign...
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Chapter 26: Of CIVILL LAWES
...known; otherwise, it is not a law. This rule does not apply to the unwritten Laws of Nature (which can be condensed into the following: “Do not that to another, which thou thinkest...
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Chapter 28: Of PUNISHMENTS, and REWARDS
...for a time, and exile, which is punishment by forced relocation. It is against the Law of Nature , Hobbes argues, to punish an innocent subject; however, it is not against the Law...
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...following chapters, Hobbes will discuss the “diseases” and “mortality” of Leviathan, as well as the Laws of Nature that Leviathan must obey.
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Chapter 30: Of the OFFICE of the Soveraign Representative
...the safety of the subjects of the common-wealth, and the sovereign is obligated by the Laws of Nature to serve the common-wealth to the absolute best of their ability. This care is not...
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Chapter 31: OF the KINGDOME OF GOD by NATURE
...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...
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...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.”...
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...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.
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Chapter 33: of the Number, Antiquity, Scope, Authority, and Interpreters of the Books of Holy SCRIPTURE
...different branches of Christianity, but since scripture does not differ all that much from the Laws of Nature , it is considered the law of God and carries his authority.
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Chapter 42: Of POWER ECCLESIASTICALL
...heart, one can lie without any affront to Christ or the sovereign power, since the Law of Nature says a person cannot be forced to confess something that endangers their life. Plainly put,...
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...Prince—is a member of a Christian church, that Prince cannot be excommunicated. According to the Law of Nature , a Prince’s subjects are obligated to be in his presence when he commands it,...
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...decide what constitutes heresy. Hobbes claims this argument is categorically false. It goes against the Law of Nature for subjects of a common-wealth to disobey their sovereign power. Furthermore, it is the sovereign...
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Chapter 43: Of what is NECESSARY for a Mans Reception into the Kingdome of Heaven
...Scripture and likely considers it law. Furthermore, obedience to civil laws is commanded by the Laws of Nature , which are the Laws of God. But, supposing a Christian sovereign misinterprets Holy Scripture...
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A REVIEW, and CONCLUSION
...together, which is what he hopes he has done in writing this book. Regarding the Laws of Nature that Hobbes explains early in the book, he would like to also add that everyone...
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...solid, as he has grounded sovereigns’ rights and subjects’ obligation and freedom according to the Law of Nature , which no one should be ignorant of. There is nothing in Hobbes’s entire book...
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