Frontispiece of Hobbes' "Leviathan"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes' political work, "Leviathan." It suggests that the frontispiece is much more than simply a title page to begin a work filled with controversial subjects and setting forth a new form of government. It describes the picture, as well as the name on the frontispiece, "Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiastical and Civil" and discusses what this tells us about the meaning of the picture.

From the Paper:

"It is clear from both sections of the frontispiece of Leviathan that the engraving which was picked so carefully by Hobbes speaks volumes about his political philosophy. The creature, scaled by men, watches and rules over everything from politics to religion, and every man that enters the social contract is caught under his rule. The picture conveys perfectly the idea of many people coming together to form one commonwealth under the guise of a sovereign to protect and rule us. The frontispiece of Hobbes' Leviathan to a trained eye can give us the idea of Hobbes political philosophy without ever reading a page."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company Inc, 1994
• "Killing the King: Leviathan Title Page." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Retrieved 3 December 2003 http://www.wwnorton.com/nael/17century/topic_3/hobbes.htm
• Springborg, Patricia. "Hobbes's Biblical Beasts: Leviathan and Behemoth." Political Theory 23.2 (May 1995) 353-375

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• Book Review # 97941 : "Hobbes' "Leviathan"

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