Thomas Hobbes Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes published his most famous work, Leviathan, in the year 1651. The title of
the book comes from the name of a large sea monster mentioned in the Old Testament of the
Bible. Hobbes uses the image of the Leviathan, I believe, to convey the powerful and
multifaceted nature of government. He is, after all, considered to be one of the premier thinkers
on the subjects of government and society.

In chapter 12, titled Of Religion, Hobbes speaks of the various seeds of religion. He
argues that the fruit of religion lies in man and therefore we must look into man to find the seeds
of religion as well. One of the seeds of religion, Hobbes argues, is human curiosity, particularly
curiosity over the causes of events. He believes that mankinds infinite curiosity and perpetual
search for the causes of things is one of the main drivers of religion.

The second seed of religion, according to Hobbes, is mankinds constant need to find a
cause for all that has a beginning; to find causes for the causes themselves, in a sense. The belief
that anything that has a beginning must have a cause that made it begin in the first place is one of
the main drivers of religion in general.

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The third seed of religion, Hobbes claims, is when man is unable to find the true causes of
events and therefore begins to suppose causes for them either out of his own imagination or
relying on the answers provided by a friend or someone of perceived higher authority. Humans
constantly feel the need to know the causes of events.

Hobbes goes on to explain that ignorance of the causes of events leads mankind into a state
of perpetual darkness and anxiety over future events. He parallels it to the state of Prometheus, a
man from Greek mythology who was punished by the gods by being tied up on a hill and have an
eagle eat his liver everyday. Without consolidation, mans heart is also constantly being eaten by
fear and anxiety over the future.

He explains that when man cannot find a cause for their good or bad fortunes, they turn to
supernatural and unseen forces to find answers and escape ignorance. This fear of ignorance, he
states, is perhaps why mankind created the concept of the gods in the first place, to explain the
beginning cause of great events. God is established as a First Mover that explains the cause of
all things and frees mankind from perpetual fear and darkness.

Hobbes remarks that some men have used these seeds of religion to promote civil
obedience and lawfulness in society while others have nourished and grown these seeds strictly
within line of Gods commands and guidance.

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Hobbes describes a miracle as a deed done by God to give credit to a representative of his
whom he has sent for the guidance and salvation of his people, such as the prophets. Therefore, a
miracle is not done in vain, but to prove a point and to extinguish doubt.

He explains that what makes men wonder are two things: one is when a strange phenomena
occurs of which the like has never been seen before, the other is when something happens of
which men can find no reasonable cause to and must therefore suppose that it has come from
God himself. If something happens that is inconceivable and is not explainable by ways of
nature, then it is deemed a miracle. However, Hobbes warns that many men in the past have
believed certain events to be miracles when in fact they were nothing more than mere trickery
and deceitfulness.

On the topic of heaven, Hobbes states that the Kingdom of Heaven will eventually be
established on earth when Christ comes back to rule. And only then will salvation be attainable.
He also explains that hell would be a second death to those who are doomed.

He also addresses the problems that arise when the states commandments run contrary to
those of God. God has commanded Christians to follow the commandments of their rulers and
their parents, but what happens when those commandments go against those of God? Which one
should we follow? The problem is knowing whether the commandments that have supposedly
come from God are actually from him or the work of deceitful men who are trying to exploit
peoples faith in God for the benefit of their own agendas. Hobbes explains that there have been
many men who have spoken in the name of the Church and yet were lying and deceitful. He

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addresses this issue by explaining that if a commandment of the state can be followed without
forfeiting ones place in heaven, then it would be wrong not to follow it. But if knowing that
following a particular commandment of the state would bring about damnation to ones soul,
then it is not right to obey it.
He also explains that Jesus himself didnt set up any new laws but only expanded on the
laws given to Moses that were already being followed by the Jews. Jesus had only advised
Christians to observe the laws they are subject to, and that the laws of God are none other than
the laws of nature, the principal one being that we should not violate our faith.

On the matter of faith, Hobbes says that we only believe those that we have heard speak.
Therefore, the prophets believed God because he spoke to them directly while the apostles
believed Jesus since they lived with him. But for ordinary Christians, they believe in what the
apostles and those with great knowledge of the Bible say. He says that we merely believe the
Bible to have come from God, not know it. And the belief in the Bible comes from the words of
the preachers, who have been appointed by the law to teach and spread the words of God.

It seems that Hobbes is trying to end confusion and internal strife by bringing in line the
matters of state and religion. He also seems quite keen to assert the authority of the state and its
king over his subjects. He does not push aside the laws of the state in favor of religious laws, but
rather tries to form a delicate balance between the two.

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However, while reading his work, I found some of his arguments to be not that convincing.
He sometimes brings up an argument but fails to support it with enough evidence or the evidence
he uses isnt really concrete. He also sometimes begins an argument and then trails off into
another subject without properly addressing the previous one first.

For example, when he speaks of the subjects of salvation and heaven, I found some of what
he said to be confusing and a little unconvincing overall. I felt like he was jumping from one
thing to another without addressing any of them completely.

Overall, I found his writings somewhat useful and insightful. It gives a fresh perspective on
the daily issues and matters of his time. And he seems like a clever man who knows how to draw
a fine line between the states laws and the Churchs authority; asserting the sovereignty of the
state without completely disregarding the powers of the Church.

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