Abstract

Should Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan be read as a satire against monarchic absolutism? This is the question raised by Jesse Braun in a recent e-book. His answer is a firm refusal, that asks us to remember Hobbes' seriousness. However, a reconstruction of Leviathan theological-political sections, ignored by Braun, allows to identify some satirical elements in Hobbes, as well as to understand the real adversaries of his polemic. Maybe, to remember Hobbes' humour, together with his seriousness, is still today a necessary interpretative move in order to understand the true meaning of his masterpiece.