Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, 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...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth5 April 1588
science men definitions
And therefore in geometry (which is the only science that it hath pleased God hitherto to bestow on mankind), men begin at settling the significations of their words; which settling of significations, they call definitions, and place them in the beginning of their reckoning.
mind pace ends
It's not the pace of life I mind. It's the sudden stop at the end.
sick religion pills
For it is with the mysteries of our religion, as with wholesome pills for the sick, which swallowed whole, have the virtue to cure; but chewed, are for the most part cast up again without effect.
angel use shapes
For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.
leviathan opinion orthodox
They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion.
authority-and-power desire leviathan
I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.
leviathan empires sitting
The Papacy is not other than the Ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.
running men light
The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
desire fit capacity
... it is one thing to desire, another to be in capacity fit for what we desire.
equality men would-be
For if all things were equally in all men, nothing would be prized.
philosophical taken enemy
He that is taken and put into prison or chains is not conquered, though overcome; for he is still an enemy.
desire action praise
Desire of praise disposeth to laudable actions.
knowledge done action
The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.
knowledge two remembrance
By this we may understand, there be two sorts of knowledge, whereof the one is nothing else but sense, or knowledge original (as I have said at the beginning of the second chapter), and remembrance of the same; the other is called science or knowledge of the truth of propositions, and how things are called, and is derived from understanding.