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dec 21, 1651 - Hobbes, Leviathan

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Written in 1651, The Leviathan argues that civil peace and social unity are best achieved by the establishment of social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign. Hobbes also touched on the subject of a sovereign's ability to tax, and that equal justice includes equal taxation. It helped set up the base of Western political philosophy. It was written partly as a response to the fear that he experienced during the political issues in the English Civil War. The Leviathan was important because it highlighted the Social Contract Theory, and spread these ideas throughout Europe.

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Date:

dec 21, 1651
Now
~ 374 years ago