The idea that human beings are fundamentally selfish has been fed by many thinkers over the centuries, and that has partly influenced the way we understand our minds.

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes, for example, is one of the great representatives of this ideological tradition, and is so in part because of one of the most famous concepts he developed: the Leviathan .

What is Leviathan in philosophy?

The Leviathan , in English, or Leviathan, as it is popularly known, is surely the most important and transcendental work of the 17th century English philosopher, politician and thinker, Thomas Hobbes.

Referring and writing with splendid mastery, the author refers to the most feared biblical monster to explain and justify the existence of an absolutist state that subjugates its citizens . Written in 1651, his work has been of great inspiration in political science and, paradoxically, in the evolution of social law.

In the biblical scriptures

As noted above, the character of the Leviathan comes from the mythology and scriptures of the Bible , whose governments in the Middle Ages were used to justify royal governments “by the grace of God”.

The Leviathan is a fearsome being who has no pity, no scruples and no compassion. It is of a gigantic magnitude and, according to the Old Testament, it has been linked to the devil himself and was defeated by God to make good prevail over evil.

But… where is the relationship between this monster and the role of the State, according to Hobbes ?

Thomas Hobbes and his political adaptation of the Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes was born in England in 1588 at a time when Great Britain was threatened by the dreaded and invincible Spanish Armada. This philosopher graduated from Oxford University in scholastic studies and philosophical logic which, influenced by authors such as Pierre Gassendi and René Descartes, would make him a key author in the development of Western political theory.

Returning to his work, the Leviathan is a book that consists of 4 parts, where he explains the relationship between man and the State by means of a pact agreed upon in the relationship of power between the mandator and the mandator .

Basically, the Leviathan, the Government, is a terrifying but necessary figure that, for Hobbes, serves to bring about a certain peace and order, necessary for civilization to progress and for individuals not to threaten or suffer threats or attacks from other individuals.

1. The Man

In this part, man is analysed as a human individual, a being of knowledge and wisdom. Man is made and developed through experience; experience that is defined as the repetition of acts and experiences that will shape society. He will make use of the word to carry out the imposition of truth, through oratory and political discourse .

The problem arises with man’s own desires. Due to people’s material and passionate impulses, individual interests will always turn against others , thus generating conflict, especially in the search for power and wealth.

In this enclave Hobbes spoke in what will be remembered as one of the most famous phrases of humanity: “homo homini lupus est” (man is a wolf to man). For this reason, the pillars in the construction of society are ethics, morals and justice . But, for Hobbes, something else is needed.

2. The State

It is in this space of action where Hobbes will introduce the concept of “Social Pact” or “Social Contract” , manipulated and elaborated by men to ensure individual security and protection in order to put an end to the conflicts faced by individual interests.

It is in the State where moral laws prevail over natural laws. That is, collective desires prevail over the passionate desires of men. For Hobbes, the only function of government is to establish and ensure peace , stability in society.

The author only defends three possible models of government: the monarchy (his favourite), the aristocracy and democracy , in this precise order. He has a preference for absolutism because he justifies the common good, where private and public interests are one, admitting that “it is impossible that if a king is rich, his people are poor”.

3. The Christian State

Thomas Hobbes was an avowed believer, but this did not make the fate of an entire people subordinate to the divinity . Moreover, he came to question the Ten Commandments of Moses because of an absence of evidence showing who and for what real purpose these laws were made.

Consequently, the author placed great emphasis on the Church’s dependence on the sovereign, in this case the monarch, in order to avoid pretentious interpretations that would be detrimental to the common good, to the peace he so defended.

He concludes by attributing a secondary role to the Church , subordinated by the supreme head of state (the Catholic kings), and they will be considered the supreme shepherds of their own people, holding the sole power to legislate for their subjects.

4. The Kingdom of Darkness

Perhaps the most controversial section, Hobbes makes a clear and harsh criticism of religious institutions, the Church in particular. He names this chapter “The Kingdom of Darkness” as part of the corrupt and cynical framework that the house of God has had throughout the history of great empires, such as the Roman one.

He accuses the Christian authorities of having failed in the truth , of wanting to impose ignorance for their own benefit and thus having the masses well indoctrinated with false practices, such as idolizing saints, figures, images or relics that are forbidden by the word of God.

However, and keeping a distance from the machinations he rejects so much, Hobbes asserts that in some specific cases the word of truth can be silenced or silenced, if that leads to the destabilization of the State by means of a rebellion that alters the established order and status quo.