The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism

The New Leviathans by John Gray is a powerful meditation on historical and current folly, challenging how we understand the world and offering a more self-aware, realistic, and disabused ethics to help us face the reality of base and delusive human instincts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

One of the most influential and groundbreaking thinkers of our time, Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan has left an indelible mark on the world of philosophy. Since its publication in 1651, this seminal work has stirred and challenged our understanding of the universe, provoking condemnation and vilification from successive generations. Despite the changing tides of political and ethical ideologies, Hobbes' cold political vision remains unwavering, piercing through the myriad of political and ethical vanities that arise.

In his remarkable book, The New Leviathans, John Gray offers a fresh and insightful interpretation of Hobbes' classic work, enabling us to navigate the complex and often contradictory world of the 2020s. Through this new lens, Gray sheds light on the moral horrors, disappointments, and contradictions that characterize our contemporary era. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 20th century brought about a wave of triumphalism in the West, a belief that a rational, liberal, and well-managed future awaited humankind. However, as time has passed, we have witnessed a series of terrible events and the flourishing of poisonous ideas, yet our liberal certainties continue to treat these as aberrations that will eventually dissipate.

Hobbes, in contrast, would not be so confident. The New Leviathans is a powerful meditation on historical and current folly, delving into the depths of human instincts and their base and deceptive nature. As a species, we seem to be perpetually grappling with the reality of our innate desires and motivations, often struggling to rise above them. Might a more self-aware, realistic, and disabused ethics provide us with the tools we need to navigate this complex and perilous world?

In conclusion, Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan remains a timeless masterpiece that continues to inspire and provoke thought. Through the lens of John Gray's The New Leviathans, we gain a deeper understanding of the world we live in, recognizing the moral complexities and challenges that we face. As we strive to navigate the complexities of the 21st century, might we find solace and guidance in Hobbes' enduring wisdom, and embrace a more self-aware and ethical approach to our lives?

Weight: 292g
Dimension: 144 x 224 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780241554951