Leviathan (book)

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/leviathan-book

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who wrote Leviathan (book)?Thomas Hobbes
2. What is the year published?1651
3. What is the primary subject?Political Philosophy and the justification of absolute sovereignty
4. What is the book "Leviathan" about?It tells the story of a giant sea monster that stands for a powerful ruler, and it explains why people need a strong leader to keep peace.
5. Why did Thomas Hobbes write "Leviathan"?He saw the English Civil War and thought that without one clear ruler, people would fight and live in danger, so he wrote the book to explain how a single leader could keep everyone safe.

State of Nature: Hobbes' hypothetical condition of humanity prior to organized society, characterized by perpetual conflict and lack of security.
Social Contract Theory: A philosophical framework explaining the origin of government and the legitimacy of state authority through an agreement among individuals.
Absolute Sovereignty: The principle that the sovereign power in a state is supreme, indivisible, and not subject to any external or internal checks.
Materialism: A philosophical view that all reality is fundamentally physical, influencing Hobbes' approach to human nature and politics.