A Dialogue Between a Philosopher and a Student of the Common Laws of England

This is an essay by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, first published posthumously in 1681. In the essay Hobbes sets forth his mature reflections of the relations between reason and law, and proposes a separation in the functions of government in the interests of common sense and humanity, without visibly violating his dictum that the sharing or division of sovereignty is an absurdity. This edition seeks to provide an accessible and dependable text.