-
Leviathan
- or The Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 23 hrs and 17 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.92
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Theologico-Political Treatise/A Political Treatise
- By: Baruch Spinoza
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though it first aroused anger and controversy rather than admiration and acceptance, A Theologico-Political Treatise was a landmark in the analysis of theology (with particular reference to the Bible and its Jewish and Christian interpretations) and its relationship to philosophy and politics. Spinoza’s scholarly analysis, based on careful study, demonstrated that the Bible was composed by many writers over the centuries - and that even the Pentateuch, the first five books, were not the work of Moses, as was generally assumed at the time.
-
-
Great until the last ~2 minutes
- By Julia S. on 06-02-22
By: Baruch Spinoza
-
Two Treatises of Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often considered the foundation of political liberalism, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government was first published anonymously in 1689, in the wake of England's Glorious Revolution. In The First Treatise of Government, Locke refutes the idea of divine monarchy, while The Second Treatise of Government articulates Locke's philosophy of government, which he based upon his theories of natural rights and the social contract.
-
-
Don't let the title scare you off!
- By Travis on 07-09-12
By: John Locke
-
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was originally written for an essay competition run by the Dijon Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1754. The question was, "What is the origin of inequality among men, and is it authorized by the natural law?" Rousseau's text is divided into four main parts: a dedication, preface, an extended inquiry into the nature of the individual, and another inquiry into the evolution of the human species within society.
-
The Social Contract
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. In The Social Contract, Rousseau explores the concept of freedom and the political structures that may enable people to acquire it. He argues that the sovereign power of a state lies not in any one ruler but in the will of the general population. Rousseau argues that the ideal state would be a direct democracy where executive decision making is carried out by citizens who meet in assembly, as they would in the ancient city-state of Athens.
-
-
Rosseau's works
- By Anonymous User on 07-24-19
-
The Second Treatise on Civil Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: Michael Anthony
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The English philosopher and physician John Locke (1632 - 1704) is widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. His work had a significant effect on the development of epistemology and political philosophy. The Second Treatise on Civil Government places sovereignty in the hands of the people, as Locke's fundamental argument is that people are equal and invested with natural rights in a state of nature in which they live free from outside rule.
-
-
Comments from a reader
- By Kindle Customer on 12-28-20
By: John Locke
-
On Liberty
- By: John Stuart Mill
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is an exhaustive exploration of social and civic liberty, its limits, and its consequences. Mill's work is a classic of political liberalism that contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state.
-
-
should be read by liberals and conservatives
- By Jim Hennessy on 09-13-18
By: John Stuart Mill
-
A Theologico-Political Treatise/A Political Treatise
- By: Baruch Spinoza
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though it first aroused anger and controversy rather than admiration and acceptance, A Theologico-Political Treatise was a landmark in the analysis of theology (with particular reference to the Bible and its Jewish and Christian interpretations) and its relationship to philosophy and politics. Spinoza’s scholarly analysis, based on careful study, demonstrated that the Bible was composed by many writers over the centuries - and that even the Pentateuch, the first five books, were not the work of Moses, as was generally assumed at the time.
-
-
Great until the last ~2 minutes
- By Julia S. on 06-02-22
By: Baruch Spinoza
-
Two Treatises of Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often considered the foundation of political liberalism, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government was first published anonymously in 1689, in the wake of England's Glorious Revolution. In The First Treatise of Government, Locke refutes the idea of divine monarchy, while The Second Treatise of Government articulates Locke's philosophy of government, which he based upon his theories of natural rights and the social contract.
-
-
Don't let the title scare you off!
- By Travis on 07-09-12
By: John Locke
-
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was originally written for an essay competition run by the Dijon Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1754. The question was, "What is the origin of inequality among men, and is it authorized by the natural law?" Rousseau's text is divided into four main parts: a dedication, preface, an extended inquiry into the nature of the individual, and another inquiry into the evolution of the human species within society.
-
The Social Contract
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. In The Social Contract, Rousseau explores the concept of freedom and the political structures that may enable people to acquire it. He argues that the sovereign power of a state lies not in any one ruler but in the will of the general population. Rousseau argues that the ideal state would be a direct democracy where executive decision making is carried out by citizens who meet in assembly, as they would in the ancient city-state of Athens.
-
-
Rosseau's works
- By Anonymous User on 07-24-19
-
The Second Treatise on Civil Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: Michael Anthony
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The English philosopher and physician John Locke (1632 - 1704) is widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. His work had a significant effect on the development of epistemology and political philosophy. The Second Treatise on Civil Government places sovereignty in the hands of the people, as Locke's fundamental argument is that people are equal and invested with natural rights in a state of nature in which they live free from outside rule.
-
-
Comments from a reader
- By Kindle Customer on 12-28-20
By: John Locke
-
On Liberty
- By: John Stuart Mill
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is an exhaustive exploration of social and civic liberty, its limits, and its consequences. Mill's work is a classic of political liberalism that contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state.
-
-
should be read by liberals and conservatives
- By Jim Hennessy on 09-13-18
By: John Stuart Mill
-
Democracy in America
- By: Alexis de Tocqueville
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 34 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat and civil servant, made a nine-month journey through the eastern United States. The result was Democracy in America, a monumental study of the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s evolving politics. His insightful work has become one of the most influential political texts ever written on America.
-
-
Most Listenable, if not the Best Translation
- By Michael Allen on 10-04-13
-
Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 22 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Published in 1651, Leviathan is considered to be one of the most important works of political philosophy and a major contribution to the modern idea of central government. In the mid-17th century, England was going through a turbulent time of change and unrest, which likely shaped Hobbes' ideas on strong government. Thomas Hobbes established the social contract theory. He believed that self-government did not create the ideal state due to the human tendency to be self-serving, something he believed would eventually lead to chaos.
-
-
For the philosophical minds
- By Nicole on 07-15-17
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 30 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Locke and his works - particularly An Essay Concerning Human Understanding - are regularly and rightly presented as foundations for the Age of Enlightenment. His primary epistemological message - that the mind at birth is a blank sheet waiting to be filled by the experiences of the senses - complemented his primary political message: that human beings are free and equal and have the right to envision, create and direct the governments that rule them and the societies within which they live.
-
-
Exhaustive Philosophic Treatise
- By No to Statism on 09-25-18
By: John Locke
-
The Wealth of Nations
- By: Adam Smith
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 36 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
-
-
ADAM SMITH
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-20-15
By: Adam Smith
-
The Spirit of the Laws
- By: Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 23 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment of its publication in 1748, The Spirit of the Laws proved to be a controversial work provoking widespread interest. Within three years it had been translated into various European languages - and was swiftly added to the List of Prohibited Books by the Roman Catholic Church. It is a remarkable book, a potpourri of observations and comments ranging far and wide over the social activities of mankind and it exerted a great influence on political leaders in the following decades.
-
-
Truly Excellent Audiobook!
- By No to Statism on 09-09-19
-
The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
- By: Francis Fukuyama
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.
-
-
Few forests, but lots of trees
- By Steve Pagano on 10-05-15
By: Francis Fukuyama
-
Plato's Republic
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Republic poses questions that endure: What is justice? What form of community fosters the best possible life for human beings? What is the nature and destiny of the soul? What form of education provides the best leaders for a good republic? What are the various forms of poetry and the other arts, and which ones should be fostered and which ones should be discouraged? How does knowing differ from believing?
-
-
BEWARE: shortened version
- By Dranu on 03-08-20
By: Plato
-
Politics
- By: Aristotle
- Narrated by: Andrew Cullum
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The title Politics literally means ‘the things concerning the city’. Here, Aristotle considers the important role that politics plays in the life of the community and its contribution to harmonious and virtuous existence. It is divided into eight books and was a cornerstone in political philosophy for centuries despite certain features - including attitudes towards slaves and women - clearly placing its conclusions and advice within the confines of Athenian society of the fourth century BCE.
-
-
I suspect a poor translation
- By Andrew George on 07-22-20
By: Aristotle
-
On the Genealogy of Morals
- A Polemic
- By: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Duncan Steen
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In On the Genealogy of Morals, subtitled "A Polemic", Nietzsche furthers his pursuit of a clarity that is less tainted by imposed prejudices. He looks at the way attitudes towards 'morality' evolved and the way congenital ideas of morality were heavily colored by the Judaic and Christian traditions.
-
-
Be strong, not weak.
- By Wayne on 06-24-13
-
Sapiens
- A Brief History of Humankind
- By: Yuval Noah Harari
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.
-
-
Should be required reading
- By Blue Zion on 12-22-18
-
Critique of Pure Reason
- By: Immanuel Kant
- Narrated by: Michael Lunts
- Length: 27 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason can lay claim to being the most important single work of modern philosophy, a work whose methodology, if not necessarily always its conclusions, has had a profound influence on almost all subsequent philosophical discourse. In this work Kant addresses, in a groundbreaking elucidation of the nature of reason, the age-old question of philosophy: “How do we know what we know?” and the limits of what it is that we can know with certainty.
-
-
Another Great Recording by Ukemi
- By Jack on 03-27-21
By: Immanuel Kant
-
The Prince
- Penguin Classics
- By: George Bull - translator, Niccolò Machiavelli
- Narrated by: Simon Callow
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a diplomat in turbulent 15th-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli knew how quickly political fortunes could rise and fall. The Prince, his tough-minded, pragmatic handbook on how power really works, made his name notorious and has remained controversial ever since. How can a leader be strong and decisive yet still inspire loyalty in his followers? When is it necessary to break the rules? Is it better to be feared than loved?
-
-
Why I purchased this version
- By Amazon Customer on 06-27-21
By: George Bull - translator, and others
Publisher's summary
The leviathan is the vast unity of the State. But how are unity, peace, and security to be attained? Hobbes’ answer is sovereignty, but the resurgence of interest today in Leviathan is due less to its answers than its methods: Hobbes sees politics as a science capable of the same axiomatic approach as geometry.
Written during the turmoil of the English Civil War, Leviathan was, in Hobbes’ lifetime, publicly burnt and even condemned in Parliament as one of the causes of the Great Fire of London in 1666. Its current appeal lies not just in its elevation of politics to a science, but in its overriding concern for peace, its systematic analysis of power, and its convincing apologia for the then-emergent market society in which we still live.
Critic reviews
More from the same
Narrator
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 22 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Published in 1651, Leviathan is considered to be one of the most important works of political philosophy and a major contribution to the modern idea of central government. In the mid-17th century, England was going through a turbulent time of change and unrest, which likely shaped Hobbes' ideas on strong government. Thomas Hobbes established the social contract theory. He believed that self-government did not create the ideal state due to the human tendency to be self-serving, something he believed would eventually lead to chaos.
-
-
For the philosophical minds
- By Nicole on 07-15-17
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Leviathan (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world rife with willful chaos, how can order be restored? Philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s answer, composed amid the violence of the English Civil War, revolutionized political thought. His solution was a commonwealth, or Leviathan, a body politic ruled and protected by an absolute sovereign. Its power would be dependent on the people to exchange their freedom for the security and order of a common law. Only with this social contract, Hobbes argued, can civil peace be established.
-
-
Poor narration
- By Hermitage on 12-21-19
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes, Christopher Brooke - introduction
- Narrated by: Philip Stevens
- Length: 25 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Hobbes lived through the Thirty Years War and Britain's civil wars, and the trauma of these events led to his great masterpiece of political thought. How could humankind rescue itself from life in the natural state, which was 'poor, nasty, brutish and short'? Vilified and scorned from the moment it was published, Leviathan was publicly burnt for sedition, but ever since it has exercised a unique fascination upon its readers, both for its ideas and its remarkable prose. Its concepts helped to drag Europe into a new world - one in which we still live today.
By: Thomas Hobbes, and others
-
The Social Contract
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. In The Social Contract, Rousseau explores the concept of freedom and the political structures that may enable people to acquire it. He argues that the sovereign power of a state lies not in any one ruler but in the will of the general population. Rousseau argues that the ideal state would be a direct democracy where executive decision making is carried out by citizens who meet in assembly, as they would in the ancient city-state of Athens.
-
-
Rosseau's works
- By Anonymous User on 07-24-19
-
Leviathan
- Or, the Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born out of the political turmoil of the English Civil War, Leviathan stands out as one of the most in influential political and philosophical texts of the 17th century. It argues for the restoration of the monarchy in light of the republic and calls for a commonwealth ruled by an authoritative, autocratic figure with absolute sovereignty. This would put an end to all controversy, war, and fear and establish peace via social contract.
-
-
Definitely worth the listen
- By NY Critic on 11-27-23
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Two Treatises of Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often considered the foundation of political liberalism, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government was first published anonymously in 1689, in the wake of England's Glorious Revolution. In The First Treatise of Government, Locke refutes the idea of divine monarchy, while The Second Treatise of Government articulates Locke's philosophy of government, which he based upon his theories of natural rights and the social contract.
-
-
Don't let the title scare you off!
- By Travis on 07-09-12
By: John Locke
-
Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: David McCallion
- Length: 22 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Published in 1651, Leviathan is considered to be one of the most important works of political philosophy and a major contribution to the modern idea of central government. In the mid-17th century, England was going through a turbulent time of change and unrest, which likely shaped Hobbes' ideas on strong government. Thomas Hobbes established the social contract theory. He believed that self-government did not create the ideal state due to the human tendency to be self-serving, something he believed would eventually lead to chaos.
-
-
For the philosophical minds
- By Nicole on 07-15-17
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Leviathan (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world rife with willful chaos, how can order be restored? Philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s answer, composed amid the violence of the English Civil War, revolutionized political thought. His solution was a commonwealth, or Leviathan, a body politic ruled and protected by an absolute sovereign. Its power would be dependent on the people to exchange their freedom for the security and order of a common law. Only with this social contract, Hobbes argued, can civil peace be established.
-
-
Poor narration
- By Hermitage on 12-21-19
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Leviathan
- By: Thomas Hobbes, Christopher Brooke - introduction
- Narrated by: Philip Stevens
- Length: 25 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Hobbes lived through the Thirty Years War and Britain's civil wars, and the trauma of these events led to his great masterpiece of political thought. How could humankind rescue itself from life in the natural state, which was 'poor, nasty, brutish and short'? Vilified and scorned from the moment it was published, Leviathan was publicly burnt for sedition, but ever since it has exercised a unique fascination upon its readers, both for its ideas and its remarkable prose. Its concepts helped to drag Europe into a new world - one in which we still live today.
By: Thomas Hobbes, and others
-
The Social Contract
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. In The Social Contract, Rousseau explores the concept of freedom and the political structures that may enable people to acquire it. He argues that the sovereign power of a state lies not in any one ruler but in the will of the general population. Rousseau argues that the ideal state would be a direct democracy where executive decision making is carried out by citizens who meet in assembly, as they would in the ancient city-state of Athens.
-
-
Rosseau's works
- By Anonymous User on 07-24-19
-
Leviathan
- Or, the Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil
- By: Thomas Hobbes
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 21 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born out of the political turmoil of the English Civil War, Leviathan stands out as one of the most in influential political and philosophical texts of the 17th century. It argues for the restoration of the monarchy in light of the republic and calls for a commonwealth ruled by an authoritative, autocratic figure with absolute sovereignty. This would put an end to all controversy, war, and fear and establish peace via social contract.
-
-
Definitely worth the listen
- By NY Critic on 11-27-23
By: Thomas Hobbes
-
Two Treatises of Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often considered the foundation of political liberalism, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government was first published anonymously in 1689, in the wake of England's Glorious Revolution. In The First Treatise of Government, Locke refutes the idea of divine monarchy, while The Second Treatise of Government articulates Locke's philosophy of government, which he based upon his theories of natural rights and the social contract.
-
-
Don't let the title scare you off!
- By Travis on 07-09-12
By: John Locke
-
On Liberty
- By: John Stuart Mill
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1859, John Stuart Mill's On Liberty is an exhaustive exploration of social and civic liberty, its limits, and its consequences. Mill's work is a classic of political liberalism that contains a rational justification of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the claims of the state.
-
-
should be read by liberals and conservatives
- By Jim Hennessy on 09-13-18
By: John Stuart Mill
-
On the Social Contract
- By: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Narrated by: Erik Sandval
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the Social Contract's appeal and influence has been wide-ranging and continuous. It has been called an encomium to democracy and, at the same time, a blueprint for totalitarianism. Individualists, collectivists, anarchists, and socialists have all taken courage from Rousseau's controversial masterpiece.
-
-
Classic. Must read.
- By David Bonifacio on 07-22-17
-
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 30 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Locke and his works - particularly An Essay Concerning Human Understanding - are regularly and rightly presented as foundations for the Age of Enlightenment. His primary epistemological message - that the mind at birth is a blank sheet waiting to be filled by the experiences of the senses - complemented his primary political message: that human beings are free and equal and have the right to envision, create and direct the governments that rule them and the societies within which they live.
-
-
Exhaustive Philosophic Treatise
- By No to Statism on 09-25-18
By: John Locke
-
The Spirit of the Laws
- By: Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 23 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment of its publication in 1748, The Spirit of the Laws proved to be a controversial work provoking widespread interest. Within three years it had been translated into various European languages - and was swiftly added to the List of Prohibited Books by the Roman Catholic Church. It is a remarkable book, a potpourri of observations and comments ranging far and wide over the social activities of mankind and it exerted a great influence on political leaders in the following decades.
-
-
Truly Excellent Audiobook!
- By No to Statism on 09-09-19
-
Democracy in America
- By: Alexis de Tocqueville
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 34 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat and civil servant, made a nine-month journey through the eastern United States. The result was Democracy in America, a monumental study of the strengths and weaknesses of the nation’s evolving politics. His insightful work has become one of the most influential political texts ever written on America.
-
-
Most Listenable, if not the Best Translation
- By Michael Allen on 10-04-13
-
The Republic
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Pat Bottino
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this monumental work of moral and political philosophy, Plato sought to answer some of the world's most formidable questions: What does it mean to be good? What enables us to distinguish between right and wrong? How should human virtues be translated into a just society? Perhaps the greatest single treatise written on political philosophy, The Republic has strongly influenced Western thought concerning questions of justice, rule, obedience, and the good life.
-
-
Jowett's 1894 translation
- By Alnia Perpoz on 10-16-09
By: Plato
-
John Locke Collection
- An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Two Treatises of Government
- By: John Locke
- Narrated by: Gregory T Luzitano
- Length: 30 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Credited as the Father of Liberalism and revered for his ground-breaking theories, John Locke left behind a legacy which has radically shaped political and philosophical thought for over 300 years. His writings continue to inspire and educate people to this day, from founding our central ideas of consciousness and knowledge to creating a framework for society which greatly influenced America’s founding fathers.
-
-
Incomplete
- By Zachary Martin on 10-16-21
By: John Locke
-
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
- By: David Hume
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Published in 1748, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is Scottish empiricist philosopher David Hume's distillation of his mature philosophy. Addressing themes including the limits of human understanding, the compatibility of free will with determinism, weaknesses in the foundations of religion, and the appeal of skepticism, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding is Hume's attempt to revise and clarify the ideas of his earlier A Treatise of Human Nature.
-
-
A Great Work Deserves a Great Performance
- By Bob on 03-04-13
By: David Hume
-
The Prince
- By: Niccolo Machiavelli
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From his perspective in Renaissance Italy, Machiavelli's aim in this classic work was to resolve conflict with the ruling prince, Lorenzo de Medici. Machiavelli based his insights on the way people really are rather than an ideal of how they should be. This is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince, a king, or a president.
-
-
You have to know what you get with The Prince
- By Cody Brown on 02-10-15
-
Utilitarianism
- By: John Stuart Mill
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This expanded edition of John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism includes the text of his 1868 speech to the British House of Commons defending the use of capital punishment in cases of aggravated murder. The speech is significant both because its topic remains timely and because its arguments illustrate the applicability of the principle of utility to questions of large-scale social policy.
-
-
A dramatic reading of JSM's 'Utilitarianism'
- By Darwin8u on 12-24-12
By: John Stuart Mill
-
The Wealth of Nations
- By: Adam Smith
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 36 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
-
-
ADAM SMITH
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-20-15
By: Adam Smith
-
David Hume Collection
- A Treatise of Human Nature, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion
- By: David Hume
- Narrated by: Gregory T. Luzitano
- Length: 29 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inside this brilliant three-in-one book collection, you’ll uncover a wealth of philosophical insights about truth, faith, and the universe around us. Drawing on the arguments and musings of the famed philosopher, David Hume, this book reveals his ideas on the questions that define our very existence. Brought to life in this collection for a modern audience David Hume’s work has stood the test of time to resonate with people across the ages.
-
-
Good
- By Kindle Customer on 02-13-21
By: David Hume
What listeners say about Leviathan
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mohad Cheridi
- 12-31-17
Keep the bible near at hand...
the narrator did a good job...bravo!
A word of advice : brush up on your bible before listening.. If you have the time, reread it...and i mean all the bible : old and new testament. It will be very useful, especially for Part 2 and 3...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- William Lajousky
- 10-27-23
Gotta love that 1600s saltiness
I love how he spends half the book talking through the Bible at length just for the point of showing Catholics are ridiculous and divine right is total b.s.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jan D. Leslie
- 04-09-17
goid piece of history.
glad to have read it. sheds a great deal of light on the time in which it was written. also gives a better understanding of the text so often referenced
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jesus McBabylasers
- 08-02-22
Splendid
Leviathan is a masterpiece and Mr. Adams does a wonderful job lending our dear friend Hobbes a voice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Morgan
- 06-16-17
Omg this was boring
I loved the parts about political philosophy but towards the end it literally felt like he was just quoting the Bible for 5 hours.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- GG
- 05-01-20
Great narration, voice and emotion
Loved the story, the manner of speech and the speed...
It is a book I will revisit later
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 05-22-18
Insightful
Many people to this day would save themselves an abundance of time looking foolish if they would simply study this book and the arguments it puts forth.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kaine
- 09-27-23
Exquisite Insight with Machiavellian Tone
Hobbes may be as much appreciated as he is reviled for this absolutist thesis offered like a Greek or Roman philosopher. His certainty as to what is right or ought to be right in terms of how to conduct ourselves is not unlike the musings of Confucius but with a more transactional and finite voice. I applaud James Adams for presenting Hobbes’ words in a way that I would have imaged the man himself likely would have sounded: humorless and interested in distilling fine points to draw clean lines around his philosophy.
Hobbes is foundational to work that succeeded him. If you are keen to discover the origins of our modern political morality, which is not the same at all as individual morality, this book should be at the origination of your path along with The Prince. However, do proceed with significant caution. Given that much of this work is tied to scripture, and in a rapid-fire way, you should assume that if you are not very familiar with The Bible much of this content will fly over you. However, there are nuggets of insight in the first half of the book that are oft quoted by other philosophers. The dive is worth it for the sake of completionism. I think though that few of us will come away liking the messenger in this case.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Valente
- 03-01-24
Shaping ideas about society
An elegant exploration of the social construct, elucidating the reasons behind the current state of society. It provides a historical perspective, allowing readers to grasp the broader vision of governmental structures.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- deborah
- 01-14-12
For PoliSci Graduate Students as a Readalong
I bought this audiobook as a readalong to the book for a graduate class in Political Theory on Classical Liberalism. The printed book is difficult and densely written, especially with odd spellings, long sentences, and intense definitions. It helps to have the audiobook playing as you read the book, to break down the sentences.
This is no light reading. It is for academicians and students only. Yet, it provides a connection between the 13th century Magna Carta or Rights of Man, and the French and American revolutions, which raised individual rights to a new height. Hobbes believes in individual rights but maintains that monarchy is the best form of central government. This connection is important to political theory, and Hobbes is its main author.
The narration is clear and with just the right affect as to delineate between concepts. The Greek in the text is ignored in the audiobook, but does not detract from the idea. Well done audiobook perfectly calibrated to the Norton Critical edition.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
45 people found this helpful