Thomas Hobbes quotes

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher, best known for his work on political philosophy. His book "Leviathan" laid the foundations for modern theories of government and social contract. He argued that strong centralized authority is necessary to maintain peace and prevent chaos. Here are 131 of his quotes:

During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man. (Thomas Hobbes)
The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Such truth, as opposeth no man's profit, nor pleasure, is to all men welcome. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
No man's error becomes his own Law; nor obliges him to persist in it. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
That a man be willing, when others are so too, as farre-forth, as for Peace, and defence of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Sudden glory is the passion which maketh those grimaces called laughter. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Prudence is but experience, which equal time, equally bestows on all men, in those things they equally apply themselves unto. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. (Thomas Hobbes)
Understanding is nothing else than conception caused by speech. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
The praise of ancient authors proceeds not from the reverence of the dead, but from the competition and mutual envy of the living. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
And when all the world is overcharged with Inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is Warre, which provideth for every man, by Victory or Death. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Curiosity is the lust of the mind. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
In the state of nature profit is the measure of right. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
And if a man consider the original of this great Ecclesiastical Dominion, he will easily perceive, that the Papacy, is no other than the Ghost of the deceased Romane Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof: For so did the Papacy start up on a Sudden out of the Ruines of that Heathen Power. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Mankind; which though it be hard to do, harder than to learn any Language, or Science; yet, when I shall have set down my own reading orderly, and perspicuously, the pains left another, will be only to consider, if he also find not the same in himself. For this kind of Doctrine, admitteth no other Demonstration. (Thomas Hobbes)
The Value or WORTH of a man, is as of all other things, his Price; that is to say, so much as would be given for the use of his Power... View quote
Thomas Hobbes
Another doctrine repugnant to Civill Society, is that whatsoever a man does against his Conscience, is Sinne; and it dependeth on the presumption of making himself judge of Good and Evill. For a man's Conscience and his Judgement are the same thing, and as the Judgement, so also the Conscience may be erroneous. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
I know not how the world will receive it, nor how it may reflect on those that shall seem to favor it. For in a way beset with those that contend, on one side for too great Liberty, and on the other side for too much Authority, 'tis hard to passe between the points of both unwounded. View quote
Thomas Hobbes
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. View quote
Thomas Hobbes