In Leviathan, arguably one of the most transcendent political plays written in the English language, Thomas Hobbes argues that state sovereignty and the suppression of the brutal state of nature are best achieved through the monopolization of power. This “common power” (Hobbes, 109), the Commonwealth or Leviathan, can be exercised either by “one man, or by an assembly of men”, this is where the division of republics and principalities can be drawn by Machiavelli. limited as such: a principality is a state governed by an individual, and a republic is a state governed pluralistically. The essay will establish the fundamental similarities between Leviathan and principalities, followed by republics, and conclude by assessing its position as a different political system. Ultimately, I argue that Leviathan is ambiguous in nature; it can be a monarchy, a democracy or an aristocracy. However, it strictly requires that ultimate power be contained by a single sovereign force, which in any event makes it an absolutist form of government. Throughout the book, primarily in chapters XVII through XXII, Hobbes establishes some of the many features of the political system. Leviathan. When speaking of Leviathan, Hobbes reduces it to a single entity. This is how Hobbes takes the first step towards Machiavelli's concept of principality. Whether it is a single person or a single assembly of a few individuals, Hobbes's singling out of Leviathan shows that the power of the state is ultimately contained within a single branch of government. All responsibility, whether political, social, etc., therefore falls on him: the sovereign. In a principality, the central political actor is the prince. Machiavelli, like Hobbes, contains ...... middle of paper ...... the main constants of Leviathan are as follows. It must operate through a single, sovereign power, whether a united general assembly or an autonomous leader. This power must be exercised with respect for the unique alliance. All concerns that transcend the alliance must be addressed by the sole sovereign, the ultimate and omnipotent political force. The fundamental constant is that of singularity; all people, institutions and interests must be condensed into their most fundamental and unified form. In doing so, the policy will bridge the relationship between state and sovereign, allowing for mutual benefit, a thought that lends itself to modern liberalism. Hobbes recognizes that “no discourse, whatever it may be, can lead to absolute knowledge of the facts” (Hobbes, 35), and makes Leviathan an interpretive and conditional political framework above all.