
Frontpiece to an early edition of 'Leviathan.'
Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil , commonly called Leviathan, is a book written by Thomas Hobbes which was published in 1651. It is titled after the biblical Leviathan. The book concerns the structure of society and legitimate government, and is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory.
Leviathan in 1632[]
When Thomas Hobbes visited Grantville, he had not yet written Leviathan and was known primarily for his translation of History of the Peloponnesian War. However, every person he spoke to in Grantville remembered only Leviathan. After obtaining a copy of the work, Hobbes was intrigued that he became a political philosopher in the original universe.