Abstract

Although the Orthodox interpretation of Hobbes’s sovereign as an omnipotent despot who compels absolute obedience via the implementation of cruel and arbitrary punishment seems to be supported by a cursory reading of Leviathan, a comprehensive examination of Hobbes’s thought on the purpose and character of punishment offers a reconceptualization of the sovereign as a non-tyrannical entity driven exclusively by his duty to maintain state security. This article utilizes both Hobbes’s text (Leviathan) and pertinent secondary literature to support this claim. After depicting the orthodox interpretation of the sovereign in the existing literature, Hobbes’s definition of punishment is utilized as the central framework for a thorough examination of the purpose and character of punishment in Leviathan. This analytical method reveals the proto-liberal nature of Hobbes’s penal theory by demonstrating both its provision of substantive rights and its inherent limitations. Subsequently, an acknowledgement of the limited efficacy of sovereign punishment leads to a consideration of the essential role of statewide education in engendering communal obedience. Finally, this in-depth account of Hobbesian punishment and its relationship to civic education offers a reformed image of the sovereign, which in turn alters traditional conceptions of life in the Hobbesian commonwealth. Ultimately, this conclusion calls for future research on 1) the practicality of Hobbes’s proposed state and 2) the validity of his conception of human nature and the ultimate end of human existence.