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Thomas Hobbes Warre And Power

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In London in 1651, Thomas Hobbes published Leviathan, a book in which he asserts that absolutism is the only way to maintain societal order and avoid “the war of all against all” (Hobbes). Absolutism, most commonly associated with Louis XIV, is the unlimited authority of a single leader, meaning a sole individual has the power to make all decisions. Hobbes includes two key terms, warre and power, when supporting his argument for absolutism. Although both terms are simple and self-explanatory, I believe their context greatly contributes to why he so strongly advocates for this form of government. When describing warre, Hobbes states, “Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy to every man” (Hobbes 89). Here,

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