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 More Quotes by Thomas Hobbes More Quotes From 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. Thomas Hobbes ancientenvycompetition For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man's nature, than to excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice. Thomas Hobbes excusejusticemen Whatsoever is the object of any man's Appetite or Desire; that is it which he for his part calleth Good: and the object of his Hate and Aversion, evil. Thomas Hobbes hateevilmen Leisure is the mother of philosophy; and commonwealth, the mother of peace and leisure. Thomas Hobbes leisuremotherphilosophy That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defense 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 menpeacethinking 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 hazardscharitymen The first cause of Absurd conclusions I ascribe to the want of Method. Thomas Hobbes causeswantfirsts Desire , to know why, and how, CURIOSITY; such as is in no living creature but Man ; so that Man is distinguished, not only by his Reason; but also by this singular Passion from other Animals ; in whom the appetite of food, and other pleasures of Sense, by predominance, take away the care of knowing causes; which is a Lust of the mind, that by a perseverance of delight in the continual and indefatigable generation of Knowledge, exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal Pleasure. Thomas Hobbes perseverancepassionanimal Whatsoever accidents or qualities our senses make us think there be in the world, they are not there, but are seemings and apparitions only. The things that really are in the world without us, are those motions by which these seemings are caused. And this is the great deception of sense, which also is by sense to be corrected. For as sense telleth me, when I see directly, that the colour seemeth to be in the object; so also sense telleth me, when I see by reflection, that colour is not in the object. Thomas Hobbes reflectionsciencethinking Because waking I often observe the absurdity of dreams, but never dream of the absurdities of my waking thoughts, I am well satisfied that being awake, I know I dream not; though when I dream, I think myself awake. Thomas Hobbes wakingdreamthinking And this Feare of things invisible, is the naturall Seed of that, which every one in himself calleth Religion; and in them that worship, or feare that Power otherwise than they do, Superstition. Thomas Hobbes invisiblesuperstitionsworship A free man is he that, in those things which by his strength and wit he is able to do, is not hindered to do what he has a will to. Thomas Hobbes ablelibertymen 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. Thomas Hobbes definitionsmenscience All generous minds have a horror of what are commonly called 'Facts'. They are the brute beasts of the intellectual domain. Thomas Hobbes intellectualmindfacts Science is the knowledge of Consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another: by which, out of that we can presently do, we know how to do something else when we will, or the like, another time Thomas Hobbes another-timeknow-howfacts Prudence is but experience, which equal time equally bestows on all men in those things they equally apply themselves unto. Thomas Hobbes cautionequalmen This I know; God cannot sin, because his doing a thing makes it just, and consequently, no sin.... And therefore it is blasphemy to say, God can sin; but to say, that God can so order the world, as a sin may be necessarily caused thereby in a man, I do not see how it is any dishonor to him. Thomas Hobbes godmenorder Competition of praise inclineth to a reverence of antiquity. For men contend with the living, not with the dead. Thomas Hobbes competitionpraisemen When it happeneth that a man signifieth unto us two contradictory opinions whereof the one is clearly and directly signified, andthe other either drawn from that by consequence, or not known to be contradictory to it; then (when he is not present to explicate himself better) we are to take the former of his opinions; for that is clearly signified to be his, and directly, whereas the other might proceed from error in the deduction, or ignorance of the repugnancy. Thomas Hobbes errorsignorancemen It is many times with a fraudulent Design that men stick their corrupt Doctrine with the Cloves of other mens Wit. Thomas Hobbes doctrinedesignmen
