Son Ki-hwa: Hobbes Leviathan

"The war of all against all" is a phrase so famous that everyone knows it from hearing it so often. It implies that in a state of nature without a state, humans are inevitably bound to fight one another out of a selfish desire to protect themselves. Hobbes, who argued that humans are inherently evil, believed that the cause of conflict lies within human nature and asserted that natural law is necessary to bring that conflict to peace. Furthermore, he spoke of the necessity of absolute power—that is, absolute authority. This is precisely where the reason for the existence of *Leviathan* emerges. *Leviathan* is broadly composed of four parts. Part 1 deals with human beings, Part 2 with sovereignty and the form of government, Part 3 with power and political issues within Christianity, and Part 4 with the world of darkness. *Leviathan* is a book about state power or sovereignty. As England faced a crisis due to frequent clashes between the King and Parliament, and the conflict with the power of the Church, Hobbes believed that royal power had to be strengthened to restore peace and order to England. Therefore, he formulated his theory of the state titled *Leviathan* by likening absolute power to the monster *Leviathan* from the Old Testament. It might be a stretch to derive Hobbes's ideas from the saying, "The market is the side dish." However, just as extreme hunger makes us perceive food as more delicious and precious, it is evident that extreme social turmoil teaches us the value of peace and makes us feel its necessity even more acutely. By feeling that necessity, we are compelled to lead ourselves toward action for peace.

Korean title: 홉스 리바이어던

Korean author: 손기화

Korean publisher: 주니어김영사

ISBN-13: 9788934994367