What it's about

Written during a civil war by a man who was frightened, and it shows: life without a sovereign is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short, so we trade our liberty for order. Every argument about the state since has been with this book.

Reading plan

Pick a finish date and Genius lays out the days — the plan shows today's target and keeps you honest.

Read together

Start a circle and share the code — everyone sees everyone's honest place in the book. Accountability, not leaderboards.

Who it's for

- Anyone who wants the case for authority made honestly - Readers of political philosophy at the source - Anyone who has only heard the famous five adjectives

What’s inside

1
THE FIRST PART
1 min
2
THE SECOND PART
1 min
3
THE THIRD PART
1 min
4
THE FOURTH PART
4 min
5
CHAPTER I. OF SENSE
3 min
6
CHAPTER II. OF IMAGINATION
10 min
7
CHAPTER III. OF THE CONSEQUENCE OR TRAYNE OF IMAGINATIONS
8 min
8
CHAPTER IV. OF SPEECH
15 min
9
CHAPTER V. OF REASON, AND SCIENCE.
12 min
10
CHAPTER VI. OF THE INTERIOUR BEGINNINGS OF VOLUNTARY MOTIONS
17 min
11
CHAPTER VII. OF THE ENDS OR RESOLUTIONS OF DISCOURSE
6 min
12
CHAPTER VIII. OF THE VERTUES COMMONLY CALLED INTELLECTUAL; AND THEIR
19 min
13
CHAPTER IX. OF THE SEVERALL SUBJECTS OF KNOWLEDGE
3 min
14
CHAPTER X. OF POWER, WORTH, DIGNITY, HONOUR AND WORTHINESS
14 min
15
CHAPTER XI. OF THE DIFFERENCE OF MANNERS
12 min
16
CHAPTER XII. OF RELIGION
21 min
17
CHAPTER XIII. OF THE NATURALL CONDITION OF MANKIND,
8 min
18
CHAPTER XIV. OF THE FIRST AND SECOND NATURALL LAWES, AND OF CONTRACTS
20 min
19
CHAPTER XV. OF OTHER LAWES OF NATURE
24 min
20
CHAPTER XVI. OF PERSONS, AUTHORS, AND THINGS PERSONATED
7 min
21
CHAPTER XVII. OF THE CAUSES, GENERATION, AND DEFINITION OF A
8 min
22
CHAPTER XVIII. OF THE RIGHTS OF SOVERAIGNES BY INSTITUTION
16 min
23
CHAPTER XIX. OF THE SEVERALL KINDS OF COMMON-WEALTH BY INSTITUTION,
18 min
24
CHAPTER XX. OF DOMINION PATERNALL AND DESPOTICALL
15 min

Showing the first 24 of 56 chapters — open the book for the rest.

Leviathan

What it's about

Reading plan

Read together

Who it's for

What’s inside

What readers say

Read next

Leviathan

What it's about

Reading plan

Read together

Who it's for

What’s inside

What readers say

Read next