War Analysis in Leviathan

War, according to Hobbes, is battle and the intention or desire for battle. People living outside a common sovereign power are in a constant state of war, and this state of war includes every person against every person. War is inevitable in a state of nature where there is no common power to keep people in line; thus, people have abandoned nature and created common-wealths to escape the violence and war that is implicit in nature. If at any time, the power of a sovereign is divided or diminished, the common-wealth reverts back to a state of nature and inevitable war. War is one of the primary causes of the dissolution of a common-wealth, and civil war in particular is death to a common-wealth.

War Quotes in Leviathan

The Leviathan quotes below are all either spoken by War or refer to War. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Nature, War, and Civil Society Theme Icon

For the Thought of the warre, introduced the Thought of delivering up the King to his Enemies; The Thought of that, brought in the Thought of the delivering up of Christ; and that again the Thought of 30 pence, which was the price of that treason: and thence easily followed that malicious question; and all this in a moment of time; for Thought is quick.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), Christ

Page Number and Citation: 95

Explanation and Analysis:

And therefore the voluntary actions, and inclinations of all men, tend, not only to the procuring, but also to the assuring of a contented life; and differ onely in the way: which ariseth partly from the diversity of passions, in divers men; and partly from the difference of the knowledge, or opinion each one has of the causes, which produce the effect desired.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), God

Page Number and Citation: 161

Explanation and Analysis:

Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called Warre; and such a warre, as is of every man, against every man. For Warre, consisteth not in Battel lonely, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the Will to contend by Battell is sufficiently known: […] All other time is peace.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 185-186

Explanation and Analysis:

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein men live without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish from withal. In such a condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; […] no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continuall feare, and danger of violent death; And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), Aristotle

Page Number and Citation: 186

Explanation and Analysis:

The Passions that encline men to Peace, are Feare of Death; Desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a Hope by their Industry to obtain them. And Reason suggesteth convenient Articles of Peace, upon which men may be drawn to agreement. These Articles, are they, which otherwise are called the Lawes of Nature: whereof I shall speak of more particularly, in the two following chapters.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker), God

Page Number and Citation: 188

Explanation and Analysis:

Now a Monarchy, the private interest is the same with the publique. The riches, power, and honour of a Monarch arise onely from the riches, strength and reputation of his Subjects. For no King can be rich, nor glorious, nor secure; whose Subjects are either poore, or contemptible, or too weak through want, or dissention, to maintain a war against their enemies; Whereas in a Democracy, or Aristocracy, the publique prosperity conferres not so much to the private fortune of one that is corrupt, or ambitious, as doth many times a perfidious advice, a treacherous action, or a Civill warre.

Related Characters: Thomas Hobbes (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 241-242

Explanation and Analysis:

War Term Timeline in Leviathan

The timeline below shows where the term War appears in Leviathan. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Power, Common-wealths, and Monarchies Theme Icon

...judiciary and executive government are the “artificiall Joynts.” A sovereign nation’s abilities to punish and reward citizens are the “Nerves,” and the peoples’ safety is its “Businesse.” Laws are like “artificiall... (full context)

...the first is “Unguided, without Designe, and inconstant.” For instance, if one thinks of civil war, they may also think of delivering a king onto his enemies, and therefore of delivering... (full context)

...is the presumption of future events based on past experience. An example again is civil war: when one has watched civil war ruin a thriving state, one can presume that other... (full context)

...“small Power.” Arts for public use and defense, such as the production of engines and war instruments, are power. Science is the “true Mother” of the arts (mostly mathematics), but since... (full context)

...and affronts. People living outside an established and common power are in a state of war, and this state of war includes every person against every person. War, according to Hobbes,... (full context)

Humans’ natural condition is one in which everyone is at war with everyone else. Everyone is guided by the same reason—an obligation to preserve their life... (full context)

...gestures and actions and even silence. As the state of nature is a state of war, it is not reasonable to expect a covenant to be honored in nature. There must... (full context)

...in its many forms can never be lawful, and “it can never be that Warre (war) shall preserve life, and peace destroy it.” The science of these laws and the study... (full context)

...natural for people to restrain this love to preserve life and escape the state of war in nature. Since the Laws of Nature cannot be followed without the creation of some... (full context)

...decide which doctrines are appropriate to be taught to subjects to avoid dissention and civil war. (full context)

...sovereign power is responsible for doing what they see best in times of peace and war, and they are also responsible for selecting any needed counselors or ministers. The sovereign power... (full context)

...would be contrary to the first power and reduce the people to a state of war, which is counterproductive to the common-wealth. Such an absurdity has recently been seen in England,... (full context)

...a democracy or an aristocracy, in which disagreements to can reach the height of civil war. Of course, a monarch does have the power to deprive any one subject of all... (full context)

...before that successor is selected, the common-wealth dissolves and reverts back to a state of war. Therefore, the power of a monarch must exist in a line of “Artificiall Eternity” known... (full context)

...Scotland. Many objected to King James’s endeavor, although it likely would have prevented the civil war that is presently making both countries miserable. A foreigner can also become a sovereign power... (full context)

Dominion by conquest, which is through victory in a war, is known as “despoticall,” and it signifies a master with dominion over subjects. Dominion of... (full context)

Thus, Hobbes argues, it is not victory in war that gives the victor power over the vanquished—it is the covenant that transfers this power.... (full context)

...signals the end of obedience. If a subject is taken prisoner by another power during war, they are at liberty to become a subject of the power who takes them; however,... (full context)

...of the Law of Nature; however, this breech does not authorize a subject to make war on the sovereign power, accuse the sovereign of injustice, or insult the sovereign in any... (full context)

...void of people, or it can be populated by inhabitants that are then subdued by war. A colony’s rights after it is established are authorized exclusively by the sovereign power. (full context)

...is not against the Law of Nature if innocents are harmed during a state of war, since it is within the Law of Nature to make war in the first place. (full context)

...the soul and brain of the common-wealth that is bound to result in oppression and war. (full context)

...the bowels of a greater, like wormes in the entrayles of a natural man.” In war, if the common-wealth is not the victor, the common-wealth is automatically dissolved. (full context)

...the main points he has made thus far. The condition of nature is one of war, and the Laws of Nature function to avoid this war. Without a sovereign power, a... (full context)

The most frequent cause of civil unrest and war in Christian common-wealths arises from the difficulty that comes from trying to obey God and... (full context)

...he would like to also add that everyone is obligated by Nature to protect during war the same sovereign power they are protected by in peacetime. (full context)

...to that conqueror and agrees to be their subject. A conquest is not victory in war; a conquest is winning power over the subjects of another sovereign power. Thus, if one... (full context)

War Term Analysis

War Quotes in Leviathan

War Term Timeline in Leviathan