Leviathan (Books I and II): Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

Leviathan (Books I and II), credited to Thomas Hobbes, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of Leviathan, Books I and II, by Thomas Hobbes. Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil is a book written in 1651 by Thomas Hobbes. The book concerns the structure of society (as represented figuratively by the frontispiece, showing the state giant made up of individuals). In the book, Hobbes argues for a social contract and rule by a sovereign. Influenced by the English Civil War, Hobbes wrote that chaos or civil war - situations identified with a state of nature and the famous motto bellum omnium contra omnes (the war of all against all) - could only be averted by strong central government. He thus denied any right of rebellion toward the social contract. However, Hobbes did discuss the possible dissolution of the State. Since the social contract was made to institute a state that would provide for the peace and defense of the people, the contract would become void as soon as the government no longer protected its citizens. By virtue of this fact, man would automatically return to the state of nature until a new contract is made. (Summary from Wikipedia)

Recording facts

• Recording title: Leviathan (Books I and II)
• Author credits: Thomas Hobbes
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 32
• Listed recording duration: 11:33:17

Catalogue topics

• philosophy
• politics

Opening tracks: first 24 of 32

1. 00 - Introduction — 8:28
2. 01 - Of Sense — 4:47
3. 02 - Of Imagination — 13:44
4. 03 - Of the Consequence or Train of Imaginations — 12:15
5. 04 - Of Speech — 23:39
6. 05 - Of Reason and Science — 15:22
7. 06 - Of the Interior Beginnings of Voluntary Motions, Commonly Called the Passions; and the Speeches by Which They are Expressed — 23:51
8. 07 - Of the Ends or Resolutions of Discourse — 10:05
9. 08 - Of the Virtues Commonly Called Intellectual; and their Contrary Defects — 24:20
10. 09 - Of the Several Subjects of Knowledge — 5:35
11. 10 - Of Power,Worth,Dignity, Honour and Worthiness — 22:21
12. 11 - Of the Difference of Manners — 17:22
13. 12 - Of Religion — 28:08
14. 13 - Of the Natural Condition of Mankind as Concerning Their Felicity and Misery — 14:04
15. 14 - Of the First and Second Natural Laws, and of Contracts — 33:55
16. 15 - Of Other Laws of Nature — 41:51
17. 16 - Of Persons, Authors, and Things Personated — 13:52
18. 17 - Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a Commonwealth — 10:50
19. 18 - Of the Rights of Sovereigns by Institution — 21:05
20. 19 - Of the Several Kinds of Commonwealth by Institution, and of Succession to the Sovereign Power — 24:51
21. 20 - Of Dominion Paternal and Despotical — 20:50
22. 21 - Of the Liberty of Subjects — 24:15
23. 22 - Of Systems Subject, Political and Private — 30:41
24. 23 - Of the Public Ministers of Sovereign Power — 10:22

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.