Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, Chapter 24 summary
Chapter 24 of 65 · Part 2: Of the Commonwealth · 10 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 24, the speaker explains how a commonwealth obtains resources, establishes property, regulates exchange, and circulates money under sovereign authority. The argument connects economic activity to public security, rejects fixed limits on public revenue, and distinguishes independent colonies from settlements that remain parts of their mother commonwealth.
What happens
- Natural resources and human labor supply necessities, while foreign trade supplies goods unavailable at home.
- The sovereign establishes property and distributes land, giving subjects rights against other subjects but not against sovereign authority.
- Public expenses cannot safely depend on fixed revenue because external dangers and human weaknesses make needs unpredictable.
- The sovereign controls foreign trade and determines the forms that make contracts valid.
- Money circulates like blood, while financial officials collect public revenue and distribute funds for public expenses.
- Colonies either become independent commonwealths or remain provinces, with their rights determined by their founding authorization.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The sentence states why reserved estates or a fixed income cannot guarantee public survival. Expenses depend on external dangers as well as the conduct of rulers.
Quick check
What determines a colony's rights apart from honor and alliance owed to its metropolis?
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