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aliyah_101's review against another edition
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paven's review against another edition
1.0
Read it because it is a classic. Not worth the time unless your friends about you with it.
noachoc's review against another edition
4.0
I guess we must have only read selections in college because I had no memory whatsoever of the entire last half. I'm sure it was the necessary rushing through of the first half (caused by seminar deadlines) that made me utterly miss how funny Hobbes is on occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed the re-read of the bits I remembered and the new reading of the bits I didn't. Did get the impression, though, that he was sucking up to QE1 a bit, especially with all the pope-hate.
Also pretty sure we didn't read the bits where he's hating on Aristotle. Those bits were extra fun.
Also pretty sure we didn't read the bits where he's hating on Aristotle. Those bits were extra fun.
blazeofgold's review against another edition
3.0
The first two parts were good, then it got religiousy, skimmed the second half.
papanels03's review against another edition
3.0
Great political theory. However, just seems to go on forever. Honestly just reading the Wikipedia summary will do it justice
umbreonreads's review against another edition
stood on the cliffside screaming give me a reason
4lbxrtoii's review against another edition
1.0
“Hell is truth seen too late.”
This is undeniably a cornerstone of political philosophy, but as a modern reader, I found it an absolute slog to get through. The text is dense, repetitive, and, at times, outright exhausting, making it an incredibly challenging read that felt more like an exercise in endurance than a rewarding intellectual journey.
While I can respect Hobbes' influence and the historical significance of his work, the experience of actually reading Leviathan was far from engaging. The prose is labyrinthine, with lengthy digressions and an overreliance on outdated theological and philosophical assumptions that often obscure his central arguments.
Hobbes' concept of the "state of nature" and his case for an all-powerful sovereign are intriguing on a theoretical level but are presented in such a heavy-handed and dogmatic way that it left little room for nuance. The authoritarian undertones of his "solution" to humanity's chaos—essentially surrendering all freedom for security—felt not only extreme but also unsettling in its implications.
As a foundational text, I understand its value in shaping political thought and the social contract theory, but its ideas could have been presented far more clearly and succinctly. For me, Leviathan represents a necessary, albeit unenjoyable, piece of intellectual history—one better left to summaries or secondary analyses than a direct reading.
This is undeniably a cornerstone of political philosophy, but as a modern reader, I found it an absolute slog to get through. The text is dense, repetitive, and, at times, outright exhausting, making it an incredibly challenging read that felt more like an exercise in endurance than a rewarding intellectual journey.
While I can respect Hobbes' influence and the historical significance of his work, the experience of actually reading Leviathan was far from engaging. The prose is labyrinthine, with lengthy digressions and an overreliance on outdated theological and philosophical assumptions that often obscure his central arguments.
Hobbes' concept of the "state of nature" and his case for an all-powerful sovereign are intriguing on a theoretical level but are presented in such a heavy-handed and dogmatic way that it left little room for nuance. The authoritarian undertones of his "solution" to humanity's chaos—essentially surrendering all freedom for security—felt not only extreme but also unsettling in its implications.
As a foundational text, I understand its value in shaping political thought and the social contract theory, but its ideas could have been presented far more clearly and succinctly. For me, Leviathan represents a necessary, albeit unenjoyable, piece of intellectual history—one better left to summaries or secondary analyses than a direct reading.