Leviathan · Character

Aristotle

The Greek philosopher Hobbes keeps invoking — sometimes as authority, sometimes as the target of a well-aimed correction.

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First appearance: part i of man

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Hobbes inherits Aristotle's vocabulary of causes, motion, and the first mover, then quietly rewrites it: the endless chain of causes leads to one eternal cause, but fear and ignorance are what actually breed the gods men worship. Aristotle stands behind Hobbes's account of how invisible powers get imagined — as thin aerial bodies, dream-shapes, ghosts — rather than as immaterial spirits, a notion Hobbes insists no natural mind could form. Reading Leviathan means watching Hobbes both lean on and dismantle the philosopher he can't stop quoting.

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it reveals the sovereign's right to punish is not a gift from subj…

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In the story

Aristotle appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: Of Sense
Hobbes references Aristotle's doctrines as the basis for the 'visible species' theory taught in universities.
Of Speech
Mentioned as an authority whose name is valued by fools, contrasting with true reasoning based on definitions.
XV: Of Other Laws of Nature
Hobbes criticizes Aristotle's doctrine in the Politics that some men are naturally fit to command and others to serve, arguing that this is contrary to reason and experience.
Of the Causes, Generation, and Definition of a Commonwealth
Referenced as numbering bees and ants among political creatures.
Part IV: Of the Kingdom of Darkness
Criticized for introducing false philosophy that obscures truth.
Of Spiritual Darkness, from Misinterpretation of Scripture
Mentioned as a source of vain and erroneous philosophy mixed with Scripture.
XLVI: Of Darkness from Vain Philosophy and Fabulous Traditions
Hobbes blames Aristotle's doctrine of 'separated essences' for introducing vain philosophy that supports superstition and undermines civil obedience.

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