What Leviathan is about
A rigorous argument about fear, order and the authority people create to escape conflict. Thomas Hobbes wrote it in 1651. It sits in the politics shelf of the library.
The edition you read
The original text is the Thomas Hobbes, 1651, a public domain edition. The text is complete and keeps its own chapter structure, so every reading points back to the same place in the book.
Where to start
The book opens with these readings, in order. The first one is free in the app.
- Chapter i. of sense
- Chapter ii. of imagination
- Chapter iii. of the consequence or trayne of imaginations
- Speech as reckoning and truth
How the readings are split
The 105 readings follow the book's own divisions, grouped into 28 parts. Each reading is a sitting of a few minutes, and the reader remembers the paragraph where you stopped.
Reading it in plain English
Every reading has a plain English draft written paragraph by paragraph, and a short guide with context, an explanation, takeaways and a question to think about. The drafts are labeled Unreviewed plain English draft. Drafts, guides and the readings after the first one need Athenaeum Membership.
Questions about Leviathan
Is Leviathan free to read?
The Thomas Hobbes, 1651 is in the public domain. In Athenaeum the first of its 105 readings is free, and Athenaeum Membership opens the rest.
How long is Leviathan?
Athenaeum splits it into 105 readings. Short books take a week of evenings, and long ones work best a reading or two at a time.
Read Leviathan in Athenaeum
Athenaeum puts twenty classic books beside a sourced atlas of the Greek world. The first reading of every book is free.
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