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Thomas Hobbes

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

“Nature hath made men so equal in the faculties of body and mind, as that though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body, or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between man and man is not so considerable as that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit to which another may not pretend as well as he.”

Men Mind Wells May Made Sometimes Body Together Found Differences Equal Benefits Claims Stronger Faculty One Man Mind And Body Leviathan

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“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 May Doe Judging Conscience Doctrine Judgement Good And Evil Presumption Leviathan

Book:Leviathan: Top 100 Classic Novels

Source: Leviathan: Top 100 Classic Novels

“Where there is no common power, there is no law”

Law Common Leviathan

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“For WAR, consisteth not in Battle only, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the Will to content by Battle is sufficiently known.... So the nature of War, consisteth not in actual fighting; but in the known disposition thereto, during all the time there is no assurance to the contrary. All other time is PEACE.”

War Fighting Known Battle Contrary Disposition Assurance Leviathan

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”

Men War Conditions Survival Leviathan

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“Such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned; yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves.”

Men Believe May Wisdom Wise Intelligence Witty Acknowledge Eloquent Nature Of Man Leviathan

Book:Leviathan, Parts I and II

Source: Leviathan, Parts I and II

“The right of nature... is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life.”

Men Life Use Nature Liberty Preservation Leviathan

Book:Leviathan, Parts I and II

Source: Leviathan, Parts I and II

“The Papacy is not other than the Ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.”

Sitting Graves Ghost Empires Roman Empire Deceased Leviathan Roman Civilization

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.”

Desire Mankind Perpetual Restless Inclination Leviathan Desire For Power Authority And Power

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“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.”

Mind Desire Fear Quiet Perpetual Tranquility Tranquillity Leviathan Perpetual Motion

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion.”

Opinion Orthodox Dislike Heresy Leviathan

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.”

Two War Force Virtue Fraud Anti War Antiwar Hype Cardinals Leviathan

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“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.”

Long States Able Lasts Power Subjects Protect Understood Obligation Sovereign Leviathan Absolute Monarchy

Book:Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil

Source: Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil

“War consisteth not in battle only, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known.”

War Fighting Known Battle Leviathan

Book:Leviathan - Revised Edition

Source: Leviathan - Revised Edition

“Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man, the same consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such condition there is no place for industry... no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; 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.”

Men Art War Earth Faces Poor Enemy Worst Conditions Security Danger Industry Letters Accounts Every Man Violent Invention Solitary Nasty Leviathan Violent Death Solitary Man

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“The source of every crime, is some defect of the understanding; or some error in reasoning; or some sudden force of the passions. Defect in the understanding is ignorance; in reasoning, erroneous opinion.”

Passion Force Understanding Opinion Crime Ignorance Source Errors Reasoning Defects Leviathan

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.”

Religion Fear Natural Seeds Invisible Leviathan

Book:Leviathan - Revised Edition

Source: Leviathan - Revised Edition

“I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.”

Lasts Dark Darkness Journey Philosophical Leap Last Words Voyages Famous Last Words Leviathan Dying Last Words

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man.”

Ifs Men War Political Fear Common Conditions Every Man Awe Leviathan Authority And Power Perpetual War

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues.”

Men War Law Political Force Justice Common Virtue Notion Injustice Every Man Fraud Unjust Cardinals Leviathan Justice And Injustice

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“Moral philosophy is nothing else but the science of what is good, and evil, in the conversation, and society of mankind. Good, and evil, are names that signify our appetites, and aversions; which in different tempers, customs, and doctrines of men, are different.”

Source: The Essential Leviathan: A Modernized Edition

“Intemperance is naturally punished with diseases; rashness, with mischance; injustice; with violence of enemies; pride, with ruin; cowardice, with oppression; and rebellion, with slaughter.”

Political Enemy Violence Pride Disease Injustice Oppression Ruins Rebellion Cowardice Slaughter Intemperance Leviathan Rashness Mischance

Book:Leviathan - Revised Edition

Source: Leviathan - Revised Edition

“Hell is Truth Seen Too Late.”

Philosophy Truth Hell Seeing Late Too Late Neglect Ecology Neglected Absolute Truth Leviathan Deep Ecology

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies.”

Ifs Men Two Desire Enjoy Enemy Nevertheless Leviathan

Book:Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan (Longman Library of Primary Sources in Philosophy)

Source: Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan (Longman Library of Primary Sources in Philosophy)

“That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself.”

Thinking Men Peace Liberty Willing All Things Lays Defense Leviathan

Book:Leviathan, Parts I and II

Source: Leviathan, Parts I and II