Thomas Hobbes Quotes

197 Sourced Quotes

Scientia potentia est, sed parva; quia scientia egregia rara est, nec proinde apparens nisi paucissimis, et in paucis rebus. Scientiae enim ea natura est, ut esse intelligi non possit, nisi ab illis qui sunt scientia praediti.

Thomas Hobbes
Men are not therefore put to death, or punished for that their theft proceedeth from election; but because it was noxious and contrary to men's preservation, and the punishment conducing to the preservation of the rest, inasmuch as to punish those that do voluntary hurt, and none else, frameth and maketh men's wills such as men would have them.

Thomas Hobbes
There be as many persons of a king, as there be petty constables in his kingdom. And so there are, or else he cannot be obeyed. But I never said that a king, and every one of his persons, are the same substance.

Thomas Hobbes
Understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled.

Thomas Hobbes
The law is more easily understood by few than many words. For all words are subject to ambiguity, and therefore multiplication of words in the body of the law is multiplication of ambiguity. Besides, it seems to imply (by too much diligence) that whosoever can evade the words is without the compass of the law.

Thomas Hobbes
And whereas many men, by accident unevitable, become unable to maintain themselves by their labour; they ought not to be left to the Charity of private persons; but to be provided for, (as far-forth as the necessities of Nature require,) by the Lawes of the Common-wealth. For as it is Unchariablenesse in any man, to neglect the impotent; so it is in the Soveraign of a Common-wealth, to expose them to the hazard of such uncertain Charity.

Thomas Hobbes
For Appetite with an opinion of attaining, is called HOPE.

Thomas Hobbes
For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.

Thomas Hobbes
In the state of nature, Profit is the measure of Right.

Thomas Hobbes
When all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man, by victory or death.

Thomas Hobbes
For he that hath strength enough to protect all, wants not sufficiency to oppresse all.

Thomas Hobbes
Can it then be doubted, but that God, who is infinitely fine Spirit, and withal intelligent, can make and change all species and kind of body as he pleaseth? But I dare not say, that this is the way by which God Almighty worketh, because it is past my apprehension: yet it serves very well to demonstrate, that the omnipotence of God implieth no contradiction.

Thomas Hobbes
Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called "hope"; the same, without such opinion, "despair".

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.

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.

Thomas Hobbes
To pray to another for aid of any kind is to honour, because a sign we have an opinion he has power to help; and the more difficult the aid is, the more is the honor.

Thomas Hobbes
The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

Thomas Hobbes
It is one thing to desire, another to be in capacity fit for what we desire.

Thomas Hobbes
To say that God is an incorporeal substance, is to say in effect there is no God at all. What alleges he against it, but the School-divinity which I have already answered? Scripture he can bring none, because the word incorporeal is not found in Scripture.

Thomas Hobbes
For there is no such thing as perpetual Tranquility of mind, while we live here; because Life it selfe is but Motion, and can never be without Desire, nor without Feare, no more than without Sense.

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

Thomas Hobbes
Because silver and gold have their value from the matter itself, they have first this privilege, that the value of them cannot be altered by the power of one, nor of a few commonwealths, as being a common measure of the commodities of all places. But base money may easily be enhanced or abased.

Thomas Hobbes