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A review by 4lbxrtoii
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
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 The prose is labyrinthine, with lengthy digressions and an overreliance on outdated theological and philosophical assumptions that often obscure his central arguments.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 The prose is labyrinthine, with lengthy digressions and an overreliance on outdated theological and philosophical assumptions that often obscure his central arguments.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.