Thomas Hobbes Quotes
Thomas Hobbes was a 17th-century English philosopher whose 1651 book Leviathan is one of the founding texts of modern political philosophy and social contract theory. Writing during and after the English Civil War, he argued that in the natural condition of mankind, without an overarching political authority, life would be solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The quotes below are attributed to Thomas Hobbes, organized by topic.
Browse Thomas Hobbes by topic
Thomas Hobbes on Freedom
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Attributed to Thomas Hobbes:
“Liberty is the absence of external impediments to motion.”
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“Liberty and Necessity (no. 111)”
Give an inch, he'll take an ell.
Thomas Hobbes on God
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“Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.”
The First Part, Chapter 11, p. 51
Thomas Hobbes on Justice
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“In the state of nature, Profit is the measure of Right.”
...in statu naturae Mensuram juris esse Utilitatem.
Thomas Hobbes on Knowledge
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Attributed to Thomas Hobbes:
“Words are the counters of wise men, but the money of fools.”
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“Give an inch, he'll take an ell.”
Liberty and Necessity (no. 111) -
“To understand this for sense it is not required that a man should be a geometrician or a logician , but that he should be mad.”
On the proposition that the volume generated by revolving the region under 1/x from 1 to infinity has finite volume. Quoted in Mathematical Maxims and Minims by N. Rose (1988) -
“On the proposition that the volume generated by revolving the region under 1/x from 1 to infinity has finite volume. Quoted in Mathematical Maxims and Minims by N. Rose (1988)”
To understand this for sense it is not required that a man should be a geometrician or a logician , but that he should be mad. -
“...in statu naturae Mensuram juris esse Utilitatem.”
In the state of nature, Profit is the measure of Right. | De Cive (1642) -
“For he that hath strength enough to protect all, wants not sufficiency to oppresse all.”
De Cive "Of the right of him, whether Counsell, or one Man onely, who hath the supreme power in the City" (1642) Ch. 6 -
“Now I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.”
Last words
Thomas Hobbes on Life
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Attributed to Thomas Hobbes:
“And the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Thomas Hobbes on Mind
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“Curiosity is the lust of the mind.”
The First Part, Chapter 6, p. 26
Thomas Hobbes on Nature
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“The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic Pt. I Human Nature (1640) Ch. 9”
The passion of laughter is nothing else but a sudden glory arising from sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmities of others, or with our own formerly...
Thomas Hobbes on Politics
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“The war of all against all.”
The First Part, Chapter 13, p. 62 -
“Covenants without the sword are but words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.”
The Second Part, Chapter 17, p. 85 -
“The condition of man is a condition of war of every one against every one.”
The First Part, Chapter 14, p. 64 -
“He that is to govern a whole nation must read in himself, not this or that particular man, but mankind.”
The Introduction, p. 2 -
“De Cive "Of the right of him, whether Counsell, or one Man onely, who hath the supreme power in the City" (1642) Ch. 6”
For he that hath strength enough to protect all, wants not sufficiency to oppresse all.
Thomas Hobbes on Truth
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“Such truth as opposes no man's profit, nor pleasure, is to all men welcome.”
Review and Conclusion, p. 396, (Last text line)