HIST 020. Leviathan and the Inquisition

Centered on Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes (1651), this course will trace a counter-history of Western political thought starting with the Ancients and ending in the present moment when Hobbes’ famous mythical entity-at once machine, monster, and idol-continues to inspire paradigm shifts in the humanities and social sciences.
Method/Theory. Concentrations: Domination and Resistance; Empires and Nations
Prerequisite: Department prerequisite of previous course in the Humanities.
Social Sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for Method/Theory. Concentrations: Domination and Resistance; Empires and Nations
Spring 2026. Azfar.
Catalog chapter: History
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/history

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