Quotes by Thomas Hobbes

About Thomas Hobbes:

Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury 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.
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The flesh endures the storms of the present alone; the mind, those of the past and future as well as the present. Gluttony is a lust of the mind.

Thomas Hobbes

For, from the time that the Bishop of Rome had gotten to be acknowledged for bishop universal, by pretence of succession to St. Peter, their whole hierarchy, or kingdom of darkness, may be compared not unfitly to the kingdom of fairies; that is, to t...

Thomas Hobbes

Most men's awareness doesn't extend past their dinner plates.

Thomas Hobbes

Another doctrine repugnant to civil society, is that whatsoever a man does against his conscience, is sin; and it dependeth on the presumption of making himself judge of good and evil. For a man's conscience and his judgement are the same thing, and ...

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.

Thomas Hobbes

When you're dealing with these forces or powers in a philosophic and scientific way, contemplating them from an armchair, that rationalistic approach is useful. It is quite profitable then to regard the gods and goddesses and demons as projections of...

Thomas Hobbes

As if it were Injustice to sell dearer than we buy; or to give more to a man than he merits. The value of all things contracted for, is measured by the Appetite of the Contractors: and therefore the just value, is that which they be contented to give...

Thomas Hobbes

And a special thanks for not burning up the whole ship. Including yourself, you daft bum-rag.

Thomas Hobbes

Barking hard work, being a boy.

Thomas Hobbes

Hell is truth seen too late.

Thomas Hobbes

For such is the nature of man, 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: For they see their own wit at hand, and other mens a...

Thomas Hobbes

The universe, the whole mass of things that are, is corporeal, that is to say, body, and hath the dimensions of magnitude, length, breadth and depth. Every part of the universe is ‘body’ and that which is not ‘body’ is no part of the universe...

Thomas Hobbes

For it can never be that war shall preserve life, and peace destroy it.

Thomas Hobbes

The man was allergic to sleep.

Thomas Hobbes

Maybe this was how you stayed sane in wartime: a handful of noble deeds amid the chaos.

Thomas Hobbes

So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel: First, Competition; Secondly, Dissidence; Thirdly, Glory. The first, maketh men invade for Gain; the second, for Safety; and the third, for Reputation. The first use Violence, t...

Thomas Hobbes

In such condition, there is no place for Industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of movi...

Thomas Hobbes

Leisure is the Mother of Philosophy.

Thomas Hobbes

Not believing in force is the same as not believing in gravitation.

Thomas Hobbes

All generous minds have a horror of what are commonly called 'Facts'. They are the brute beasts of the intellectual domain.

Thomas Hobbes

Author Bio

  • NameThomas Hobbes
  • Descriptionphilosopher
  • AliasesThomas Hobbes of Malmesbury; Hobbes
  • BornApril 5, 1588
  • DiedDecember 4, 1679
  • CountryKingdom Of England
  • ProfessionActivist; Writer; Political Scientist