Primary Source Analysis

Running head: PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS
PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS
Thomas Hobbes’s book “Leviathan” was published in the year 1651, it was one of the
most influential books penned down in the seventeenth century, which critically examines the
absolute sovereignty, understanding the nature of human beings, social contract and the
relationship between each of them. Thomas Hobbes penned down the book on the background of
the English Civil War. The English Civil War was fought between the Royalists and the
Parliamentarians. During this period, many royalists escaped to Europe and many came to
France where they met Hobbes. The company of these exiled royalists and the negative impact of
the war not only political but also economical made Hobbes, a royalist himself write the book
where he set forth a theory, which stated that it is important to have an absolute monarchy to
ensure there is no war as he advocated peace and non- violence.`
In the chapter XIII of the Leviathan, Hobbes describes that all men are equal. In the
excerpt of Leviathan Thomas talks about the nature of human beings, sense, imagination and
thought process. He states that although there are some individual differences, some have healthy
bodies while some have clever minds, but overall there is not much difference. This equality of
the human race leads to diffidence as both the men wish for the same thing that only one can
achieve. Hobbes also highlights the fact that the human beings tend to think themselves of being
ahead and smarter than others. He argues that men crave for gain, safety and reputation and these
are the main reasons for quarrel amongst men. These insecurities lead to wars not only on the
battlefield but also within themselves. Hobbes states the life of a man is “Solitary, Poor, Nasty,
brutish and Short”. He says that driving force in a person is the will to survive, and only thing
that inclines person towards peace is the fear of death(bbok 97)