cover of episode On Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan"

On Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan"

2022/10/13
logo of podcast New Books in Political Science

New Books in Political Science

Frequently requested episodes will be transcribed first

Shownotes Transcript

In 1651, the English Civil Wars were ending, and Thomas Hobbes published Leviathan. He used the book to advocate his ideal government: an absolute, monarchical sovereign. He also highlighted the problems that will inevitably arise in a democracy, the kinds of division and inaction that challenge us today. Professor Susanna Siegel discusses the way Hobbes’ Leviathan shaped the way we understand our everyday relationship to political institutions. Susanna Siegel is a professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. She is the author of The Rationality of Perception and The Contents of Visual Experience. See more information on our website, WritLarge.fm.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices)

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science)