Hobbes Leviathan

[beavisshakur]

Ok, this mite not be strictly literature but i hope someone out there will be able to answer this: im about to write an essay on Thomas Hobbes and his book Leviathan and my questiosn ask why his soverign cannot act unjustly. What does this mean? how can u not act unjustly?
Any ideas much appreciated!

[jno]

as I recall, the idea was that the people choose a sovereign who will guarantee them peace (he was no doubt thinking of the English civil war which had recently taken place). They agree to give up their own power to such a sovereign. Because the sovereign now has absolute power, nothing he does can be 'wrong'. If the people feel aggrieved about something he does, it is their own fault for choosing him, not his for doing something which he is entitled to do.