A religião em Thomas Hobbes

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between religion and politics in Leviathan. This relationship can be problematic for English philosophy, as a power struggle between the sovereign and the clergy could threaten the peace of the republic. In theory, this struggle could lead to a division of authority, which, according to the English philosopher, is one of the weaknesses of a republic, leading to sedition. Based on this issue, it is argued that Hobbes's entire biblical exegesis is developed with a political objective, aiming to avoid a division of power. It is suggested that the instrument of his biblical interpretation is monistic materialism, with no intention of separating it from biblical terms based on isolated essences and embodied substances, since, ultimately, these concepts are used by the Scholastics as manipulation, expansion of power, and division of authority. However, religion is not excluded from Hobbes's work, since the seeds of religion are inherent in human beings. Hobbes observes that these characteristics, found only in human beings, are used by clergy to instill fear in subjects and usurp power, leading to a division of authority between Church and State. Thus, for there to be state peace, there must be a unified power, since the clergy can pose a threat to this unity in the political sphere by manipulating the consciences of their subjects through the use of the seeds of religion. Thus, we argue that the sovereign must control religion; that is, the relationship between both realities is one of submission of religion to the State and the unification of power through unlimited sovereignty.