Leviathan vs The Road to Serfdom: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Politics, Political science, Open_syllabus_project, Essays
Leviathan
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Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, from 1651, is one of the first and most influential arguments towards social contract. Written in the midst of the English Civil War, it concerns the structure of government and society and…
The Road to Serfdom
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A classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated politicians, scholars, and general readers for half a century. Originally…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Road to Serfdom highest: The Road to Serfdom 4.1 · Leviathan 3.7.
- Leviathan has the widest readership — 54811 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Leviathan | The Road to Serfdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (54811) | 4.1 (26748) |
| Google Books | 4.0 (1) | 4.0 (14) |
| Apple Books | 3.5 (10) | 4.5 (83) |
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Reception
| Leviathan | The Road to Serfdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 54811 | 26748 |
| Editions | 99 | 34 |
| Citations | — | 442 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 112826 | 57511 |
| Reading it now | 4765 | 3702 |
| Written reviews | 1675 | 2058 |
| Wikipedia attention | 67796 | 7634 |
| Pages | 299 | 248 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Leviathan or The Road to Serfdom?
The Road to Serfdom has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Road to Serfdom 4.1/5, Leviathan 3.7/5).
Which is shorter to read: Leviathan or The Road to Serfdom?
The Road to Serfdom is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Road to Serfdom (248 pages, ≈ 4 h 36 m); Leviathan (299 pages, ≈ 5 h 32 m).
Which is harder to read: Leviathan or The Road to Serfdom?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Leviathan: Demanding; The Road to Serfdom: Challenging.