Philosophy

The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Natural Law, Sovereignty, and the Origins of Modern Political ObligationBy Thomas Hobbes

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The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic is Thomas Hobbes's first systematic statement of the philosophical anthropology and political theory later expanded in Leviathan. Composed in a lucid, compressed, and argumentative prose, the work moves from sense, imagination, appetite, fear, and reason to natural law, covenant, sovereignty, and the necessity of civil authority. Written on the eve of the English Civil War and circulated in manuscript in 1640, it belongs to the urgent literature of political crisis, yet its method is strikingly modern: politics is grounded not in inherited scholastic abstractions but in an analysis of human motion, desire, and insecurity. Hobbes, born in 1588 and educated at Oxford, served the Cavendish family, travelled on the Continent, and absorbed both classical historiography and the new mathematical-scientific spirit of the seventeenth century. His experience of parliamentary conflict, religious division, and aristocratic politics sharpened his conviction that peace requires an undivided sovereign power capable of restraining destructive competition. This book is indispensable for readers seeking the origins of modern political philosophy. It rewards students of Hobbes, early modern thought, legal theory, and political realism with a concise but profound account of why order, authority, and obligation matter. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Political Intrigue Psychological Rebellion Survival

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 4.0 (553)

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GenrePhilosophy

Length8 hrs 5 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateDec 7, 2023

LanguageEnglish

1The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic (Annotated)

2Introduction

3Synopsis

4Historical Context

5Author Biography

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6PART I

7Chapter 1: The General Division of Man's Natural Faculties

8Chapter 2: The Cause of Sense

9Chapter 3: Of Imagination and the Kinds Thereof

10Chapter 4: Of the Several Kinds of Discursion of the Mind

11Chapter 5: Of Names, Reasoning, and Discourse of the Tongue

12Chapter 6: Of a Knowledge, Opinion and Belief

13Chapter 7: Of Delight and Pain; Good and Evil

14Chapter 8: Of the Pleasures of the Senses; Of Honour

15Chapter 9: Of the Passions of the Mind

16Chapter 10: Of the Difference Between Men In These Discerning Faculty and the Cause

17Chapter 11: What Imaginations and Passions Men Have, at the Names of Things Supernatural

18Chapter 12: How by Deliberation From Passions Proceed Men's Actions

19Chapter 13: How by Language Men Work Upon Each Other's Minds

20Chapter 14: Of the Estate and Right of Nature

21Chapter 15: Of the Divesting Natural Right by Gift and Covenant

22Chapter 16: Some of the Laws of Nature

23Chapter 17: Other Laws of Nature

24Chapter 18: A Confirmation of the Same Out of The Word of God

25Chapter 19: Of the Necessity and Definition of a Body Politic

26PART II

27Chapter 20: Of the Requisites to the Constitution of a Commonwealth

28Chapter 21: Of the Three Sorts of Commonwealth

29Chapter 22: Of the Power of Masters

30Chapter 23: Of the Power of Fathers, and of Patrimonial Kingdom

31Chapter 24: The Incommodities of Several Sorts of Government Compared

32Chapter 25: That Subjects are not Bound to Follow Their Private Judgments in Controversies of Religion

33Chapter 26: That Subjects are not bound to follow the Judgment of any Authorities in Controversies of Religion which is not Dependent on the Sovereign Power

34Chapter 27: Of the Causes of Rebellion

35Chapter 28: Of the Duty of Them That Have Sovereign Power

36Chapter 29: Of the Nature and Kinds of Laws

37Analysis

38Reflection

39Memorable Quotes