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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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Famous Thomas Hobbes Quotes

“The passions of men are commonly more potent than their reason.”

Men Reason Passion

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

“Understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled.”

Passion Understanding Flames Enlightened

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

“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

“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

“Passions unguided are for the most part mere madness.”

Passion Madness Mere

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“Man is distinguished not only by his reason, but also by this singular passion, from all other animals.”

Men Reason Passion Animal Curiosity Distinguished Vehemence

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, ...

“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

“Sudden glory is the passion which maketh those grimaces called laughter.”

Happiness Joy Passion Glory Laughter Philosophical Grimace

Book:Leviathan

Source: Leviathan

“Ambition, and Covetousnesse are Passions that are perpetually incumbent, and pressing.”

Political Passion Ambition Incumbents

Author:Thomas Hobbes