Had I read as much as others, I had remained as ignorant as they.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Reading
The obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long, and no longer, than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect them.
—Thomas Hobbes
The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Secrets
No mans error becomes his own Law; nor obliges him to persist in it.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Mistakes
In the state of nature profit is the measure of right.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Profit
Covenants, without the sword, are but words, and of no strength to secure a man at all. The bonds of words are too weak to bridle man’s ambition, avarice, anger, and other passions, without the fear of some coercive power.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Words
Our nature is inseparable from desires, and the very word desire—the craving for something not possessed—implies that our present felicity is not complete.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Desire
There are very few so foolish that they had not rather govern themselves than be governed by others.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Government
Science is the knowledge of consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Scientists, Science
There are few who need complain of the narrowness of their minds if they will only do their best with them.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Mind
Force, and fraud, are in war the two cardinal virtues.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: War
Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Desires, Hope
I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Famous Last Words, Last Words
Opinion of ghosts, ignorance of second causes, devotion to what men fear, and talking of things casual for prognostics, consisteth the natural seeds of religion
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Opinions
Obligation is thraldom, and thraldom is hateful.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Obligation
Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which every one in himself calleth religion.
—Thomas Hobbes
Leisure is the mother of philosophy.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Leisure, Rest, Philosophy
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Authority, One liners
Desire to know why, and how—curiosity, which is a lust of the mind, that a perseverance of delight in the continued and indefatigable generation of knowledge—exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: The Mind, Knowledge, Curiosity
The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject, but man only.
—Thomas Hobbes
Such is the nature of men that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned, yet they will hardly believe there may be many so wise as themselves.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Wisdom
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.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Religion
Prudence is but experience, which equal time, equally bestows on all men, in those things they equally apply themselves unto.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Caution
There is no such thing as perpetual tranquility 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.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: The Mind
They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Opinions
The original of all great and lasting societies consisted not in the mutual good will men had toward each other, but in the mutual fear they had of each other.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Fear
Words are wise men’s counters, they do but reckon by them: but they are the money of fools.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Words
He that is taken and put into prison or chains is not conquered, though overcome; for he is still an enemy.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Prison
War consisteth not in battle only, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Conflict
Understanding is nothing else than conception caused by speech.
—Thomas Hobbes
Topics: Understanding
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- John Locke English Philosopher
- Francis Bacon English Philosopher
- Baruch Spinoza Dutch Philosopher
- Rene Descartes French Mathematician, Philosopher
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz German Philosopher, Mathematician
- Niccolo Machiavelli Florentine Political Philosopher
- Jeremy Bentham British Philosopher, Economist
- Aristotle Ancient Greek Philosopher
- David Hume Scottish Philosopher, Historian
- Montesquieu French Political Philosopher
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