This paper presents the notion of the state as understood by Thomas Hobbes and Samuel von Pufendorf. They both understand the state as a seat of sovereignity and as a person which cannot be identified neither with ruler nor with subjects. Accordingly, Hobbes and Pufendorf are modern authors belonging to a school of political absolutism. The first part of this paper presents major contemporary contributions to the theory of state, namely those of Quentin Skinner and Alessandro Passerin d’Èntreves. After that, Hobbes and Pufendorf are located in their intellectual and historical context. Following, the paper presents Hobbes’s notion of the state which represents a birthplace of a modern notion of the state conceived as a doubly impersonal person distinct both from ruler and subjects. Pufendorf reception of Hobbes’s notion of the state popularized it across the Europe. He understood the state as a persona moralis. Although Pufendorf conceived the personhood differently than Hobbes, he did not manage to develop that insight further. Pufendorf also formulated a distinct theory of social contract but derived absolutist conclusions from it, similar to Hobbes’s. Finally, it is evident that both Hobbes and Pufendorf emphasized the idea that the sovereign state is possible only if its subjects recognize themselves as the true authors of the state. Hobbes and Pufendorf warn us that an adequate understanding of the notion of the state remains a crucial task for political science.