Thomas Hobbes contends that a wise sovereign would censor books and limit verbal discourse for the majority of citizens. But this article contends that it is consistent with Hobbes’s philosophy to claim that a wise sovereign would allow a small number of citizens – those individuals who engage in scientific discourse and who are magnanimous and just – to disagree freely amongst themselves, engaging in discourse on controversial topics. This article reflects on Hobbes’s contention that these individuals can tolerate one another’s differences and engage in verbal disagreement without any risk to the commonwealth. By engaging in open discourse, these individuals can better create valuable technology and provide counsel to the sovereign that is necessary to maintain peace.

托马斯·霍布斯（Thomas Hobbes）认为，一个明智的君主会审查书籍并限制大多数公民的口头话语。但是这篇文章认为，霍布斯的哲学主张一个明智的主权者会允许少数公民——那些参与科学话语的人，那些大度和公正的人——在他们之间自由地发表不同意见，参与有争议的话语。话题。本文反映了霍布斯的论点，即这些人可以容忍彼此的差异并进行口头分歧，而不会对联邦造成任何风险。通过参与公开讨论，这些人可以更好地创造有价值的技术，并为维护和平所必需的主权者提供建议。