Home / Authors / 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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“Those men that are so remissly governed that they dare take up arms to defend or introduce an opinion, are still in war, and their condition not peace, but only a cessation of arms for fear of one another, and they live as it were in the precincts of battle continually.”

Men Stills War Opinion Conditions Arms Battle Dare Introducing

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“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

“From the same it proceedeth,that men gives different names, to one and the same thing, from the difference of their own passions: As they that approve a private opinion, call it Opinion; but they that mislike it, Haeresie: and yet haeresie signifies no more than private opinion; but has only agreater tincture of choler”

Men Giving Different Passion Names Differences Opinion Different Names

Book:Hobbes: Leviathan: Revised student edition

Source: Hobbes: Leviathan: Revised student edition

“The Interpretation of the Laws of Nature in a Common-wealth, dependeth not on the books of Moral Philosophy. The Authority of writers, without the Authority of the Commonwealth, maketh not their opinions Law, be they never so true.”

Book Philosophy Law Wealth Common Moral Opinion Authority Interpretation Laws Of Nature Commonwealth Moral Philosophy

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“Heresy is a word which, when it is used without passion, signifies a private opinion. So the different sects of the old philosophers, Academians, Peripatetics, Epicureans, Stoics, &c., were called heresies.”

Different Used Passion Opinion Atheism Philosopher Positive Atheism Heresy Sects Epicurean

Book:The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Dialogue between a philosopher and a student of the common laws in England. Behemoth: The history of the causes of the civil wars of England. The whole art of rhetoric. The art of rhetoric, plainly set forth. The art of sophistry

Source: The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Dialogue between a philosopher and a student of the common laws in England. Behemoth: The history of the causes of the civil wars of England. The whole art of rhetoric. The art of rhetoric, plainly set forth. The art of sophistry

“How could a state be governed, or protected in its foreign relations if every individual remained free to obey or not to obey the law according to his private opinion.”

Ifs States Law Individual Opinion Relation Protected Foreign Relations

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“When it happeneth that a man signifieth unto us two contradictory opinions whereof the one is clearly and directly signified, andthe other either drawn from that by consequence, or not known to be contradictory to it; then (when he is not present to explicate himself better) we are to take the former of his opinions; for that is clearly signified to be his, and directly, whereas the other might proceed from error in the deduction, or ignorance of the repugnancy.”

Men Two Might Language Known Opinion Ignorance Consequence Errors Former Interpretation Contradictory Deductions Hermeneutics

Book:The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic: Part I, Human Nature, Part II, De Corpore Politico ; with Three Lives

Source: The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic: Part I, Human Nature, Part II, De Corpore Politico ; with Three Lives

“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

“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.”