Leviathan Summary & Key Insights

C.B. Macpherson's Leviathan in the Twentieth Century isn't a retelling of Hobbes's Leviathan, but rather a critical analysis of its enduring relevance and influence. It doesn't have a "plot" in the traditional sense, but rather explores the philosophical arguments within Hobbes's work, focusing on how his ideas shape our understanding of power, politics, and the individual.

Macpherson's central argument is that Hobbes's Leviathan presents a profoundly possessive individualist account of human nature and society, a perspective that has profoundly shaped modern political and economic thought. While Hobbes himself isn't a character in this secondary work, he is the primary subject of analysis. Macpherson meticulously dissects Hobbes's concepts, showing how they laid the groundwork for modern conceptions of self-interest, property, and the market.

A key theme explored is Hobbes's "state of nature," a pre-societal condition characterized by a relentless "war of all against all," where individuals are driven by a fundamental desire for self-preservation and the acquisition of power. This inherent conflict, Macpherson argues, leads Hobbes to advocate for a powerful sovereign – the Leviathan – to maintain order and enforce the laws necessary to prevent society from collapsing into chaos. This sovereign, however, is not necessarily benevolent but rather a guarantor of security, even at the expense of individual liberty.

Macpherson highlights how Hobbes's concept of the individual is fundamentally "possessive," defined by their pursuit of property and power. This individual is not a social being but rather a self-interested actor, whose primary motivation is to maximize their own well-being. This possessive individualism, Macpherson argues, became the foundational ideology of liberal capitalism. He shows how Hobbes's emphasis on security and order, while seemingly antithetical to individual liberty, ultimately serves to protect the accumulation and preservation of property, a key element of the possessive individualist ideology.

The book critically examines the implications of Hobbes's philosophy, showing how his focus on the sovereign's power might justify authoritarian regimes. Macpherson, however, doesn't simply dismiss Hobbes's work as inherently tyrannical. Instead, he analyzes the historical context of its creation and examines the enduring appeal of Hobbes's theories in explaining the complexities of power and social order. By focusing on the persistent impact of Hobbes's "possessive individualism", Macpherson offers a compelling critique of modern liberal thought, challenging its fundamental assumptions about human nature and the role of the state. Ultimately, the "plot" of Macpherson's analysis is a critical engagement with the enduring legacy of Hobbesian thought and its influence on the development of modern political and economic systems.