Leviathan (1651) by: Thomas Hobbes

Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, commonly called Leviathan. It is titled after the biblical Leviathan. The book concerns the structure of society, as is evidenced by the full title. In the book, Thomas Hobbes argues for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign. Influenced by the English Civil War, Hobbes wrote that chaos or civil war could only be averted by strong central government. He thus denied any right of rebellion towa...