Part 2 Chapter 29 Summary and Analysis

Here Hobbes discusses the various things which can weaken and dissolve a commonwealth. He relates commonwealth dissolution to an intestine disorder because it is only the people who can really dissolve the nation. The different infirmities which he says harm the nation are those that resemble a natural bodily disease, and those that arise from bad procreation. The desire for absolute power is an illness and is dangerous because a leader will do everything he can to get power, regardless of the best interest of the nation. The people of a nation become very angry and pass on their anger to their children. The diseased parents subject their children to untimely death and displeasure once the commonwealth dissolves.

The second danger is related to being poisoned. People can poison others with bad doctrines, or by ignoring the sovereign and...