#18 in Politics & society
Leviathan
- 508
- Pages
- about 9 h
- Reading time
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Our view
Published in 1651, “Leviathan” is a classic of political theory that asks what a commonwealth is and what power it may hold. Thomas Hobbes treats both its civil and its church form, and named the book after the sea monster of the Hebrew Bible. Some readers come to it out of duty and doubt that it repays their time. It is best suited to readers who want the work itself, not a summary.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil, commonly referred to as Leviathan, is a work of social and political theory by the English empiricist philosopher and political theorist Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), published in 1651. Its name derives from the chaotic Leviathan sea serpent of the Hebrew Bible and earlier mythologies.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 6.8 across 91 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 38% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Politics & society average of 8.0. That is how 7.6 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.0 | 16 | 18% |
| Hardcover | 6.8 | 75 | 82% |
Frequently asked
How long is Leviathan?
It has 508 pages — longer than 82% of the ranked books in Politics & society.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Politics & society — with scores between 7.1 and 7.8, closest to this book.
