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Thomas Hobbes Quotes

Philosopher

Thomas Hobbes, a British philosopher, politician, historian, economist, and writer, was born on April 5, 1588, in Wiltshire, and died on December 4, 1679, in Oxford, England. Hobbes is considered one of the most important philosophers of the 17th century, known for his profound analysis of the state, society, and human behavior.

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All Men Leviathan Ifs May Law Reason Causes Desire Mind Opinion War Body Every Man Atheism Common Firsts Liberty Passion Positive Atheism God

Famous Thomas Hobbes Quotes

“From what cause the rite of baptism first proceeded is not expressed formally in the scripture, but it may be probably thought to be an imitation of the law of Moses concerning leprosy, wherein the leprous man was commanded to be kept out of the camp of Israel for a certain time, after which time being judged by the priest to be clean, he was admitted into the camp after a solemn washing. And this may therefore be a type of the washing in baptism, wherein such men as are cleansed of the leprosy of Sin by Faith, are received into the church with the solemnity of baptism.”

Men Firsts May Law Certain Causes Church Sin Type Clean Israel Scripture Priests Camps Judged Imitation Solemn Moses Washing Baptism Rite Solemnity Being Judged Leprosy

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“Every man may think his own cause just till it be heard and judged.”

Thinking Men May Causes Heard Every Man Judged

Book:The Moral and Political Works To which is Prefixed the Autors Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself ... Illustr. by the Ed. - London 1750

Source: The Moral and Political Works To which is Prefixed the Autors Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself ... Illustr. by the Ed. - London 1750

“No man can be judge to his own cause.”

Men Causes Judging

Book:The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...

Source: The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...

“And in these four things, opinion of ghosts , ignorance of second causes, devotion towards what men fear , and taking of things casual for prognostics , consisteth the natural seed of religion ; which by reason of the different fancies, judgments and passions of several men, has grown up into ceremonies so different, that those which are used by one man, are for the most part ridiculous to another.”

Men Different Reason Used Passion Causes Natural Opinion Four Ignorance Judgment Seeds Ridiculous Ghost Devotion Fancy One Man Ceremony Casual

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“And seeing every man is presumed to do all things in order to his own benefit, no man is a fit Arbitrator in his own cause”

Men Order Causes Seeing Fit Benefits All Things Every Man

Book:Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition

Source: Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition

“Desire , to know why, and how, CURIOSITY; such as is in no living creature but Man ; so that Man is distinguished, not only by his Reason; but also by this singular Passion from other Animals ; in whom the appetite of food, and other pleasures of Sense, by predominance, take away the care of knowing causes; which is a Lust of the mind, that by a perseverance of delight in the continual and indefatigable generation of Knowledge, exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal Pleasure.”

Knows Men Mind Reason Care Desire Passion Causes Pleasure Animal Knowing Generations Creatures Perseverance Curiosity Delight Lust Appetite Distinguished Living Creatures Vehemence

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“So that in the first place, I put for a general inclination of all mankind a perpetual and restless desire of Power after power, that ceaseth only in Death. And the cause of this is not always that a man hopes for a more intensive delight than he has already attained to, or that he cannot be content with a moderate power: but because he cannot assure the power and means to live well, which he hath present, without the acquisition of more.”

Men Firsts Wells Mean Desire Causes Mankind Delight Perpetual Restless Inclination Moderates Acquisition Live Well

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“Curiosity draws a man from consideration of the effect, to seek the cause.”

Men Causes Atheism Effects Draws Curiosity Positive Atheism Consideration

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“For if I should not believe all that is written by Historians, of the glorious acts of Alexander, or Caesar; I do not think the Ghost of Alexander, or Caesar, had any just cause to be offended; or any body else, but the Historian. If Livy say the Gods made once a Cow speak, and we believe it not; we distrust not God therein, but Livy. So that it is evident, that whatsoever we believe, upon no other reason, then what is drawn from authority of men only, and their writings; whether they be sent from God or not, is Faith in men only.”

Source: Hobbes: Leviathan: Revised student edition

“The cause of Sense, is the External Body, or Object, which presseth the organ proper to each Sense, either immediately, as in theTaste and Touch; or mediately, as in Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling: which pressure, by the mediation of Nerves, and other strings, and membranes of the body, continued inwards to the Brain, and Heart, causeth there a resistance, or counter- pressure, or endeavor of the heart, to deliver it self: which endeavor because Outward, seemeth to be some matter without.”

Heart Self Matter Body Causes Nature Brain Seeing Objects Pressure Hearing Resistance Human Life Strings Nerves Endeavor Organs Mediation Heart And Brain Membranes

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“[Necessity is] the sum of all things, which being now existent, conduce and concur to the production of that action hereafter, whereof if any one thing now were wanting, the effect could not be produced. This concourse of causes, whereof every one is determined to be such as it is by a like concourse of former causes, may well be called (in respect they were all set and ordered by the eternal causes of all things, God Almighty) the decree of God.”

Ifs Wells May Action Causes One Thing Effects Eternal All Things Productions Determined Former Almighty Hereafter Decree Causality Concur

Book:Of Liberty and Necessity; a treatise, wherein all controversy concerning predestination, election, free will, grace, merits, reprobation, etc. is fully decided and cleared. New edition

Source: Of Liberty and Necessity; a treatise, wherein all controversy concerning predestination, election, free will, grace, merits, reprobation, etc. is fully decided and cleared. New edition

“In sum, all actions and habits are to be esteemed good or evil by their causes and usefulness in reference to the commonwealth, and not by their mediocrity, nor by their being commended. For several men praise several customs, and, contrarily, what one calls vice, another calls virtue, as their present affections lead them.”

Men Action Evil Causes Virtue Habit Ethics Praise Affection Vices Good And Evil Customs Mediocrity Usefulness Commonwealth

Book:Behemoth or The Long Parliament

Source: Behemoth or The Long Parliament

“The first cause of Absurd conclusions I ascribe to the want of Method.”

Want Firsts Causes Method Absurd Conclusion

Book:The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...

Source: The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...

“So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory. The first maketh men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third, for reputation. The first use violence, to make themselves masters of other men's persons, wives, children, and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of undervalue, either direct in their persons or by reflection in their kindred, their friends, their nation, their profession, or their name.”

Source: Leviathan, Parts I and II

“Prophecy is many times the principal cause of the events foretold.”

Causes Events Principal Prophecy

Book:The Moral and Political Works To which is Prefixed the Autors Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself ... Illustr. by the Ed. - London 1750

Source: The Moral and Political Works To which is Prefixed the Autors Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself ... Illustr. by the Ed. - London 1750

“Opinion of ghosts, ignorance of second causes, devotion to what men fear, and talking of things casual for prognostics, consisteth the natural seeds of religion”

Men Causes Natural Talking Opinion Ignorance Seeds Ghost Devotion Casual

Author:Thomas Hobbes