LEVIATHAN (or The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil)
By Thomas Hobbes
1651
"The Introduction,"
Back to Leviathan. Let's talk about the image of Leviathan itself. I'll list the parts, but will have comment for only a few of them. I'll list them in different groups. The first group describes the Soul and central nervous system of Leviathan.
1.1) Artificial Soul. Today, we might call it Soul, the brain, the mind, the spirit, or something else. But whatever word you use, it seems clear that this life-source part is considered by Hobbes to be the control center of the Artificial Body. And what is the Life-Source of Hobbes' Commonwealth? What is the proverbial Soul of Leviathan according to Hobbes? It is the Sovereignty, or ruler(s) of the Commonwealth. While the exact definition of Hobbes' sovereignty has not been provided in this section, this symbol alone seems to suggest to me that the system of government embodied in Hobbes' Leviathan is some breed of totalitarian government, likely absolute monarchy, but we will have to wait and see. This is only the first paragraph of the book (not including the dedication) after all.
1.2) Business (as in the central goal or purpose) of the Commonwealth is the "Peoples Safety." This was briefly discussed above. But 'safety against what?' is still unclear at this point.
1.2) Business (as in the central goal or purpose) of the Commonwealth is the "Peoples Safety." This was briefly discussed above. But 'safety against what?' is still unclear at this point.
1.3) Reason or Will are the actual commands of motion in the Limbs stemming from the Soul (that is to say, the Sovereign), and are symbols of Equity (the notion of fairness) and Laws together.
1.4) Reward and Punishment (i.e., civil law) are represented by the Nerves, the parts that relay the commands from the Soul/Sovereign to the Limbs (magistrates). It is noteworthy to point out Hobbes does not use the word 'justice' to represent the Nerves. Is not the execution of the law what we would call 'Justice'? I could not wait to search for Hobbes' definition of 'justice,' that would prompt him to use a different word in this case. I found what I think is a clue in Chapter XIII. While I will address this quote more completely in a later post, I believe the select quote will be sufficient to answer my question. I reads as follows:
1.4) Reward and Punishment (i.e., civil law) are represented by the Nerves, the parts that relay the commands from the Soul/Sovereign to the Limbs (magistrates). It is noteworthy to point out Hobbes does not use the word 'justice' to represent the Nerves. Is not the execution of the law what we would call 'Justice'? I could not wait to search for Hobbes' definition of 'justice,' that would prompt him to use a different word in this case. I found what I think is a clue in Chapter XIII. While I will address this quote more completely in a later post, I believe the select quote will be sufficient to answer my question. I reads as follows:
To this warre of every man against every man, this also is consequent; that nothing can be Unjust. The notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice have there no place. Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice. Force, and Fraud, are in warre the two Cardinall vertues. Justice, and Injustice are none of the Faculties neither of the Body, nor Mind. If they were, they might be in a man that were alone in the world, as well as his Senses, and Passions. They are Qualities, that relate to men in Society, not in Solitude. [...] (Chapter XIII, In Such A Warr, Nothing Is Unjust)Notice to Hobbes juxtaposes the words 'Right' and 'Wrong' with 'Justice' and 'Injustice,' implying the connection, that Justice for Hobbes is more consistent with absolute Justice or absolute Good or absolute Correct or Moral (purposefully spelled with a capital 'M'). Could we say that Justice for Hobbes would be more like God's will? I'm not sure, since Hobbes also says that Justice and Injustice do not reside in Man's faculties individually, but only in Society. Suffices to say that Man's laws are not always in tandem with God's laws, so then maybe, for Hobbes, Justice is not the correct word to describe the will of the mortal man occupying the position of Sovereign.
The next group of parts comprises the Body of Leviathan, or the people who carry out the Will of the Sovereign.
2.1) Counsellors are the Memory.
2.2) Magistrates (administrators and also administrators of justice) represent what was hitherto called Limbs, that is to say the structure of the body, namely the skeleton and Joints, but also the range of motion of the structure. The Limbs carry out the commands/impulses from the Sovereign.
The last group of analogous parts comprising Leviathan is a group of one, representing all subjects within the Commonwealth. Please note that this is the first and only part of the analogy that include the main body of the people (which I will call the Body Politic), which I imagine would include you or I in this image (unless you are a Magistrate or Counselor). I have enough commentary on this one that I think I shall make it a separate post.
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