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De Cive

Thomas Hobbes · 1642

Hobbes's first published political treatise, written in Paris in 1642, laying out ideas on liberty, government and religion.

Hobbes wrote this earlier treatise, which contains the seeds of the arguments he later expanded in Leviathan.

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Engraved frontispiece of the 1642 Paris edition of Hobbes's De Cive. Top panel shows a crowded scene of figures in clouds and a fiery landscape with a winged angel and a group of people. Bottom panel has a central banner titled Elementorum Philosophiae Sectio Tertia De Cive with Latin text, flanked by a crowned female figure holding scales labeled Imperium and a figure with a bow and spear labeled Libertas, with a landscape and the word Religio across the middle.
Frontispiece to Thomas Hobbes's De Cive, Paris, 1642.

About this source

What it is

De Cive ('On the Citizen') is a political treatise written in Latin by Thomas Hobbes, first published in Paris in 1642 and revised in 1647. It is divided into three parts: Liberty, Dominion, and Religion. An English translation appeared in 1651.

Why it matters

Written just before the English Civil War, De Cive contains the phrase 'war of all against all', an idea Hobbes developed further in his later and more famous work, Leviathan. It shows that his core political arguments were already formed before the war began, during his exile in Paris.

Look closer

  • What does the frontispiece's imagery of Liberty, Dominion and Religion suggest about the book's structure?
  • Why might Hobbes have written this work in Latin rather than English?
  • How does comparing this book to Leviathan help us see how Hobbes's ideas developed over time?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Hobbes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Engraved title page of Hobbes's Leviathan: a giant crowned figure made of many tiny people holds a sword and crozier over a landscape of hills and a city. Below, a central banner bears the title and author's name, flanked by vignettes of castle, church, crown, mitre, cannon, weapons, battle, and a council.Book

Primary source

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes · 1651

Line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes, a man with long wavy hair, a large white collar, and dark robes, shown in an oval frame inscribed with his name in Latin. Below is a Latin inscription and the printer's line 'London, Printed for Will. Crooke'.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

Book

Primary source

The Elements of Law

Thomas Hobbes · 1640

Engraved title page reading 'The Workes of Homer Engl: by T: Hobbes', with a bust of Homer above, two armoured warriors with spears flanking the title, and an oval portrait of Hobbes below. Imprint reads London, printed for W. Crooke, 1677.Artifact

Secondary source

Title Page of The Workes of Homer, Translated by Thomas Hobbes

1677

Oil portrait of an older man with long grey hair, a receding hairline, moustache and small grey beard, wearing a dark coat and a white collar against a dark background, one hand visible at lower right.Painting

Primary source

Thomas Hobbes

John Michael Wright · 1650

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