The Leviathan Remainder: Sovereignty and the Persistence of Nature

Philosophics — Philosophical and Political Ramblings · Jun 20, 2026 · 20m

Language philosopher Bry Willis examines Thomas Hobbes's political philosophy, specifically his belief that a singular sovereign power is required to protect humans from their naturally violent and fearful state. The author acknowledges that while centralised authority successfully prevents individual-on-individual conflict, it fails to eliminate the state of nature entirely. Instead, the text argues that sovereignty merely scales up the problem, shifting the site of aggression from private citizens to warring nations and empires. By trading personal freedom for institutional security, people…