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
liberty nasty poor
Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
hurt men election
Men are not therefore put to death, or punished for that their theft proceedeth from election; but because it was noxious and contrary to men's preservation, and the punishment conducing to the preservation of the rest, inasmuch as to punish those that do voluntary hurt, and none else, frameth and maketh men's wills such as men would have them.
philosophical dark leviathan
I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.
laughter philosophical passion
Sudden glory is the passion which maketh those grimaces called laughter.
life philosophical men
A man cannot lay down the right of resisting them that assault him by force, to take away his life.
envy competition ancient
The praise of ancient authors proceeds not from the reverence of the dead, but from the competition and mutual envy of the living.
fear mind desire
There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense.
power long leviathan
The obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long, and no longer, than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect them.
understanding speech conception
Understanding is nothing else than conception caused by speech.
liberty littles fruit
What reason is there that he which laboreth much, and, sparing the fruits of his labor, consumeth little, should be more charged than he that, living idly, getteth little and spendeth all he gets, seeing the one hath no more protection from the commonwealth than the other?
wise wisdom writing
A wise man should so write (though in words understood by all men) that wise men only should be able to commend him.
philosophical men welcome
Such truth, as opposeth no man's profit, nor pleasure, is to all men welcome.
law judgement cases
For all laws are general judgements, or sentences of the legislator; as also every particular judgement is a law to him whose case is judged.
spy desire way
Thoughts are to the Desires as Scouts and Spies, to range abroad, and find the way to the things Desired.