Hobbes, Thomas. Man and Citizen (De Homine and De Cive). Edited by Bernard Gert. Translated by Charles T. Wood, T. S. K. Scott-Craig, and Bernard Gert. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1991.

Thomas Hobbes’s De Cive (Latin for “On the Citizen”), first published in 1642 and later revised in 1647, is a foundational text in his political philosophy. It serves as a precursor to his more famous work, Leviathan, and systematically explores the nature of political authority, social contracts, and the necessity of a strong sovereign power to maintain peace and order.

In De Cive, Hobbes begins by examining the state of nature, a hypothetical condition where individuals exist without political authority. He describes this state as one of perpetual conflict, driven by competition, distrust, and the natural equality of all people, which fosters a “war of all against all.” To escape this chaos, individuals enter into a social contract, agreeing to surrender some of their freedoms in exchange for the protection and stability offered by a common authority.

The text is divided into three parts: Libertas (Liberty), Imperium (Dominion), and Religio (Religion). These sections address key elements of Hobbes’s political theory:
– Libertas explores human nature, natural rights, and the justification for limiting individual freedom to ensure collective security.
– Imperium lays out the structure of political authority, emphasizing the sovereign’s absolute power as essential to preventing the return to the state of nature.
– Religio examines the role of religion in politics, arguing that religious authority should be subordinate to the civil sovereign to avoid conflicts that could destabilize society.

De Cive provides a concise and rigorous presentation of Hobbes’s ideas, offering a bridge between his natural philosophy and the more detailed arguments in Leviathan. It remains a significant work for understanding the development of modern political theory and the philosophical underpinnings of the social contract tradition.

The Elements of Philosophy is composed of three parts, not published in their intended order. The edition edited by Bernard Gert includes the whole of De Cive.

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