Real Government Efficiency

by Jeffrey Collins

Wall Street Journal
July 16, 2010

The philosopher Thomas Hobbes is now a good deal more popular than he once was. When his "Leviathan" appeared in 1651 it was denounced everywhere. England's King's Charles II, a believer in the divine right of kings, disliked its coolly rational account of sovereignty. The Church of England loathed its attacks on Christian orthodoxy. Hobbes later claimed that agents of the king tried to assassinate him and bishops of the church to burn him alive. If they tried, they failed, but during his lifetime "Leviathan" was banned in England and across Europe. Upon his passing in 1679, Hobbes was known (after his birthplace) as the "Monster of Malmesbury."

But today "Leviathan" is considered one of the greatest works of political theory ever written. It is a standard text in college courses, mercifully replacing the slumping Marx. The very title of Hobbes's masterpiece has become a byword for the modern state. In bookstores we encounter titles such as "The American Leviathan," "The Islamic Leviathan" and even "The Obama Leviathan." Those seeking the genuine article can sample Hobbes's own "Leviathan" in at least 10 paperback editions.

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