Thomas Hobbes Leviathan deals with abstract issues, it is nonetheless given through a variety of characters. The cast of Leviathan includes prominent individuals such as Aristotle, God, Moses, and a wide range of fictitious and historical people. This paper will provide an analysis of the characters of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
Analysis of the Characters of Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
They all play a role in the development of Hobbes’ philosophy and reflect important features of the universe and humanity’s nature. When writing a Leviathan Thomas Hobbes summary, it’s critical to include all of them.
Aristotle
Aristotle is the first character worth noticing. Hobbes portrays Aristotle as a personification of some intellectual notions. For example, he opposes the view that people are innately sociable and humanistic, as well as the notion that democracy is the best form of governance.
God
God, of course, is a symbol of ultimate power. He is an example of how authority should be constituted on Earth since he controls the people alone. While Hobbes’ power is total, he goes on to declare that people should accept the rule of civil monarchs until his reign is restored upon Christ’s second coming.
Hobbes investigates religion via this figure from a uniquely personal perspective. While the author does not believe in traditional religious behaviors, he does believe in the existence of a greater force.
Moses
Moses appears in Leviathan as a conduit between God and humanity. He is regarded by Hobbes as the real prophet. Moses is also considered to channel God’s will, despite the fact that he does not speak with Him personally. As a result, some type of heavenly authority and the capacity to shepherd humanity is possible.
Hobbes also briefly mentions the Israelites and their unique circumstance of embracing God’s power over the authority of any political king. He describes their situation as “unusual,” which it is.
Bellarmine, Cardinal
In the seventeenth century, Robert Bellarmine was a historical person. Hobbes utilizes him and his works as yet another doppelganger for a thesis he wants to refute. The pope’s word is absolute, according to cardinal Bellarmine, and his authority over all Christians should never be questioned.
This belief originates from the fact that popes are seen as God’s foremost ambassadors on Earth. Hobbes, on the other hand, rejects their concept of infallible power and advocates for civil monarchs over religious rulers.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I is a figure who obviously relates to England’s monarch in the second part of the 16th century. Hobbes uses her anecdote to illustrate a clash between a pope’s religious power and a monarch’s civic authority.
For undermining the church’s sovereignty, Elizabeth I was proclaimed an illegitimate monarch and excommunicated. Hobbes criticizes the pope’s authority in such things, claiming that it is the people, not the church, who bestows power on the sovereign.
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