Leviathan: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

Systems within a common-wealth are either political or private. Political systems are made by authority of the common-wealth’s sovereign power. Private systems, on the other hand, are those made by subjects themselves. Private systems that are allowed by the sovereign power are lawful, but all other private systems are unlawful. In lawful political systems, the power of the representative of a system is limited and only exists under the power of the sovereign. The limits of the power given to the representative are noted by the sovereign and in common laws. 

If the representative of a political body is one person, whatever that person does to violate the laws of a sovereign power is not the act of all subjects in the body politic. If the representative of a political body is an assembly, whatever that assembly does to violate the laws or letters of the sovereign is the act of the body politic—but only those subjects who voted on said violation. If the representative of a political body is a single person and borrows money through a covenant, that person alone is responsible for repayment. Conversely, when the representative is an assembly, and the assembly owes a debt, the debt is only owed by those who voted in favor of it. If a debt is owed by the entire assembly, the assembly must pay from its available common funds.

In certain circumstances, protesting against the body politic is lawful, but it is never lawful to protest against the sovereign power. There are many kinds of political bodies, and they differ by their stated business and their limitations. In a province, colony, or town, the body politic is an assembly of people and all resolutions come from a majority vote; however, that power is still limited by the sovereign power. If a member of a body politic feels they have been injured by the body politic itself, decision in such a case belongs to the sovereign and any judge they ordain.

Political bodies made to govern people and trade goods can be made indefinite or for a short time, but they are still limited by the sovereign power. If any political body is given absolute power over the people, there are two sovereign powers, which cannot happen within a common-wealth. An example of a private body that is both regular and lawful is a family, in which the father or mother is the master of the family. Still, a father or mother only rules their family within the confines of the sovereign power. A private body that is regular but unlawful is one in which people unite themselves into one body without the authority to so, such as a group of thieves or beggars who unite to ease their stealing and begging. 

If the sovereign power is part of an assembly, and any number of that assembly attempts to persuade the rest without authority of the sovereign, it is an unlawful conspiracy because the assembly is being manipulated for the private interests of a select few. If the private interests of one member of the assembly are debated by the assembly as a whole, this is not unlawful, as it involves the entire assembly.

If a private member of a common-wealth has more servants than the common-wealth has subjects, this is considered an unlawful faction. Since the common-wealth is responsible for protecting all members, a single member does not require a force of their own. This also applies to factions within religion, be they Catholic or Protestant, as it is contrary to the establishment of the common-wealth to take power away from the sovereign.