Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy. His 1651 book Leviathan established social contract theory, the foundation of most later Western political philosophy...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth5 April 1588
heart order two
A naturall foole that could never learn by heart the order of numerall words, as one , two , and three , may observe every stroak of the Clock, and nod to it, or say one, one, one; but can never know what houre it strikes.
atheism world creeps
I shall be glad then to find a hole to creep out of the world.
beast deliberation
And Beasts that have Deliberation , must necessarily also have Will .
giving desire lasts
Of all Discourse , governed by desire of Knowledge, there is at last an End , either by attaining, or by giving over.
fall men reason
But yet they that have no Science , are in better, and nobler condition with their naturall Prudence; than men, that by their mis-reasoning, or by trusting them that reason wrong, fall upon false and absurd generall rules.
art deliverance existence
The science which teacheth arts and handicrafts is merely science for the gaining of a living; but the science which teacheth deliverance from worldly existence, is not that the true science?
men judging doe
Another doctrine repugnant to Civill Society, is that whatsoever a man does against his Conscience, is Sinne ; and it dependeth on the presumption of making himself judge of Good and Evill. For a man's Conscience and his Judgement are the same thing, and as the Judgement, so also the Conscience may be erroneous.
men sitting empires
And if a man consider the original of this great Ecclesiastical Dominion, he will easily perceive, that the Papacy , is no other than the Ghost of the deceased Romane Empire , sitting crowned upon the grave thereof: For so did the Papacy start up on a Sudden out of the Ruines of that Heathen Power.
names sight speech
The first author of speech was God himself, that instructed Adam how to name such creatures as He presented to his sight...
men bounds
No man is bound by the words themselves, either to kill himselfe, or any other man.
everyday produce new-knowledge
Time, and Industry, produce everyday new knowledge.
interest united
From whence it follows, that were the publique and private interest are most closely united, there is the publique most advanced.
men hands towers
But all this language gotten, and augmented by Adam and his posterity, was again lost at the tower of Babel , when by the hand of God, every man was stricken for his rebellion, with an oblivion of his former language.
together mathematical university
There is more in Mersenne than in all the universities together.