Has anyone had any trouble and/or frustration reading the book Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes?

Answer 1

Yes it's a complex book.
It's about the social contract.
In a nutshell, it says that we as citizens of a state abandon a certain part of our freedom t the idea of that state (The Leviathan). Once we have abandoned this freedom, even though we enter into it willfully, we may not take it back. Hobbes believes this is necessary for society to exist, because of the nature of man. He believed man was egoistical and violent and that therefore, society needed a higher power above it (The authority of law, which is, in fact, the monopoly of violence) in order to keep the baser instincts of men in check, so that society may function.

Answer 2

It can be a tough read.

I generally don't advocate Cliff Notes, since I think people tend to read the Notes *instead of* the real book, but if you are having trouble, you may want to get a copy of Cliff Notes (or some other reader's guide).

The best way to use those (and it takes soem time) is to READ THE BOOK FIRSt, take down any notes, questions, points of confusion in that chapter, THEN read the guide.

Also, I always found it helped to talk about it with someone else. If you can explain it to someone, then you know you've really got it...and sometimes trying to explain it will force you to think about things in a new way, and can help you see things more clearly.

Below is the wikipedia link for Leviathan. It's got some good general information.

Answer 3

confident they are actual relating to the trinity dogma. The Roman Catholic Church is amazingly sparkling that the trinity dogma isn't a coaching of scripture yet of the clergy. They view the clergy as having the the suitable option and authority to coach/interpret The Scriptures any way they pick and that no person else has this actual. whilst the dogma of the trinity got here in to the church it relatively is likewise whilst the persecution of persons who disagreed got here into the church. The spirit of persecution is the spirit of devil. whilst Nicea became convened there have been 304 bishops attending out of a attainable 5,000 bishops of the church. those 304 presumed to chat for the entire church and got here up with the trinity. there have been different different councils observed as which have been attended by means of majorities of the bishops and those anathematized the trinitarian teachings of Athanasius yet they do no longer pick to chat approximately those councils. Eusebius, the 1st church historian exterior of scripture, became adverse to the trinity. it relatively is why he's not observed as a saint yet he's observed as a good source of church historic previous. Trinitarians pick anybody to think of the situation became settled in 325 however the communicate has in no way long gone away. 325 did no longer even communicate relating to the holy spirit and what it became and the way if figured into the newfangled trinity. That got here later at Chalcedon. maximum those that say the have faith interior the 'trinity' do no longer even understand what it relatively is. it relatively is a seize word, buzzword, despite you pick to call it that the 'in human beings use.' section element: Constantine became supposedly 'converted' on his deathbed and baptized as an 'Arian Christian' by means of an Arian bishop. Even pagans understand one million+one million+one million=3, no longer one million.

Answer 4

Are you kidding? It's been sitting on my bookshelf for going on 2 years, and I'm still afraid of even starting it...