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Why did Hobbes consider public and understandable laws necessary for government?

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The Greek philosopher Plato — Philosophy of law Plato, marble portrait bust copied from an original of the 4th century bce; in the Capitoline Museums, Rome.

For Thomas Hobbes, law served as the primary instrument for a sovereign to maintain peace and ensure the personal security of citizens, acting as a necessary bulwark against the anarchy of a "war of all against all."1

Because Hobbes defined civil law as a "command"—a sign of the sovereign's will regarding which actions are permitted or prohibited—he emphasized that these signs must be sufficiently public and intelligible to ordinary citizens. He argued that if laws were not clear or if they required "artificial reason" and the mediation of lawyers and judges to be understood, they would fail to effectively guide the conduct of the subjects to whom they applied.1

By ensuring laws were understandable, Hobbes believed the legal system could provide authoritative and final guidance, allowing individuals to know their obligations without relying on complex, potentially controversial, or inaccessible interpretations of custom. This clarity was essential for the government to fulfill its fundamental purpose: providing a stable environment where individuals could escape the constant fear of violent death.12