Leviathan

Leviathan

by

Thomas Hobbes

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Themes and Colors
Nature, War, and Civil Society   Theme Icon
Power, Common-wealths, and Monarchies Theme Icon
Religion Theme Icon
Fear  Theme Icon
Reason, Fact, and Philosophy  Theme Icon
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Leviathan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fear  Theme Icon

Fear is present throughout most of Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan. In 1651, when Leviathan was first published, England was nearing the end of the English Civil War, a 10-year conflict that pitted the “Cavaliers” (those who supported the monarchy) against the “Roundheads” (those who supported Parliament). The English Civil War saw the abolition of the monarchy, the execution of King Charles I, and the near destruction of English society. Fear and uncertainty were a daily part of life during Hobbes’s time, and that fear is reflected in the references to civil war and regicide in Leviathan. Fear is also reflected in many of Hobbes’s arguments. Fear is present in Hobbes’s examination of religion, and it is paramount in his argument concerning human beings, the state of nature, and the creation of civil societies and common-wealths. Hobbes maintains that humans in a state of nature live in constant fear, and it is fear that drives people to society. Likewise, it is fear that preserves a common-wealth once it is created. In Leviathan, Hobbes underscores the ubiquity of fear, and he effectively argues that fear is a powerful and motivating force that binds people together as a community.

Fear is at the foundation of Hobbes’s examination of God and religion, and, Hobbes contends, it was fear that brought human beings to religion in the first place. According to Hobbes, there exists within humankind a constant fear created by an “ignorance of causes.” When nothing can be seen, and “there is nothing to accuse, either of their good, or evill fortune, but some Power, or Agent Invisible: In which sense perhaps it was, that some of the old Poets said, that the Gods were at first created by humane Feare.” Not only is fear central to Hobbes’s argument concerning religion, but he suggests that fear is likely the motivating force that brought humans to manufacture God, faith, and religion. (Hobbes’s implication that humans created God and religion in response to fear contradicts his general argument regarding religion. Hobbes argues that religion is nonsense, but he nevertheless maintains God’s existence and power. This contradiction is something Hobbes leaves unresolved.) Hobbes argues that it is natural for human beings to wonder about the causes of events and about the causes of one’s own fortune. Of course, these things aren’t always clear, and this causes “anxiety,” so “he supposes causes of them, either such as his own fancy suggesteth; or trusteth to the Authority of other men.” When no reasonable cause for events can be found, humankind creates a cause to dampen their anxiety. Ultimately, Hobbes argues that human beings turned to religion, and perhaps even created it, to answer questions and explain events and causes, thereby alleviating the anxiety and fear that comes from living in ignorance.

Just as fear is central in Hobbes’s argument regarding religion, it is also vital in his examination of human beings, nature, and civil society, which further highlights the pervasiveness of fear. In a state of nature, where everyone has an equal right to self-preservation through violence, Hobbes argues that there is “continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.” The constant fear present in nature compounds one’s misery, making nature an unbearable place to live and prompting humankind’s transition to civil society. Hobbes maintains that human beings moved out of nature and created civil societies and common-wealths to get “themselves out from the miserable condition of Warre.” In a civil society, a common power is established via a contract, or covenant, that protects people and frees them of the constant fear of violent death that accompanies nature and war. The contract that establishes the common-wealth cannot be sustained, Hobbes contends, “without the feare of some coerceive Power; which in the condition of meer Nature, where all men are equall, and judges of the justnesse of their own fears cannot possibly be supposed.” In short, for a contract to be maintained—especially the contract that establishes a common-wealth—those involved in the contract must fear the consequences of breaking said contract.

When a common-wealth is created by acquisition, meaning it is created willingly by a group of people who otherwise fear death in nature, those people “who choose their Soveraign, do it for fear of one another, and not of him whom they Institute.” Again, people choose society and a common sovereign power because they fear nature and the state of war that is implicit in it; however, it also is fear—fear of the sovereign power, fear of God, and fear of returning to a state of nature and war—that keeps people loyal and obedient to a common-wealth. Fear was a useful argument during Hobbes’s day, in which fear of war and death was prominent, and he uses that fear to promote his theories and philosophies. Hobbes argues that “life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, or fear,” and his assessment of human beings in Leviathan reflects this assertion.

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Fear Quotes in Leviathan

Below you will find the important quotes in Leviathan related to the theme of Fear .
The Introduction Quotes

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.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), God
Related Symbols: Leviathan
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

For the Thought of the warre, introduced the Thought of delivering up the King to his Enemies; The Thought of that, brought in the Thought of the delivering up of Christ; and that again the Thought of 30 pence, which was the price of that treason: and thence easily followed that malicious question; and all this in a moment of time; for Thought is quick.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), Christ
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

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.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), God
Page Number: 172-173
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish from withal. In such a condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; […] no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), Aristotle
Page Number: 186
Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), God
Page Number: 188
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 47 Quotes

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.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker)
Page Number: 714
Explanation and Analysis: