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
covenant force
A Covenant not to defend my selfe from force, by force, is always voyd.
men void covenant
A Covenant not to defend myself from force, by force, is always void. For... no man can transfer or lay down his Right to save himself from Death.
men covenant void
A covenant not to defend myself from force by force is always void. For ... no man can transfer or lay down his Right to save himself. For the right men have by Nature to protect themselves, when none else can protect them, can by no Covenant be relinquished. ... [The right] to defend ourselves [is the] summe of the Right of Nature.
sight covenant add
The oath adds nothing to the obligation. For a covenant, if lawful, binds in the sight of God, without the oath, as much as with it; if unlawful, bindeth not at all, though it be confirmed with an oath.
covenant weapons
Covenants without swords are but words.
danger fear life short violent worst
No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
carnal continued curiosity delight desire generation knowledge lust perseverance short
Desire to know why, and how - curiosity, which is a lust of the mind, that a perseverance of delight in the continued and indefatigable generation of knowledge - exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.
carnal continued curiosity delight desire generation knowledge lust perseverance short
Desire to know why, and how -- curiosity, which is a lust of the mind, that a perseverance of delight in the continued and indefatigable generation of knowledge -- exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.
approve call english-philosopher heresy private signifies
They that approve a private opinion, call it an opinion; but they that mislike it, heresy: and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion.
conscience english-philosopher judgement
A man's conscience and his judgement is the same thing; and as the judgement, so also the conscience, may be erroneous.
apparent either future obtain original power present
The power of a man, to take it universally, is his present means, to obtain some future apparent good; and is either original or instrumental.
english-philosopher money reckon wise words
Words are wise men's counters, they do but reckon with them, but they are the money of fools.
fear himself invisible natural religion
Fear of things invisible in the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.
believing force
Not believing in force is the same as not believing in gravitation.