Thomas Hobbes Quotes
A democracy is no more than an aristocracy of orators. The people are so readily moved by demagogues that control must be exercised by the government over speech and press.
Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.
The right of nature... is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature; that is to say, of his own life.
How could a state be governed, or protected in its foreign relations if every individual remained free to obey or not to obey the law according to his private opinion.
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.
And seeing every man is presumed to do all things in order to his own benefit, no man is a fit Arbitrator in his own cause
All men, among themselves, are by nature equal. The inequality we now discern hath its spring from the civil law.
The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which everyone in himself calleth religion.
For there are very few so foolish who would not rather govern themselves than be governed by others.
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 be many so wise as themselves.
The object of man's desire is not to enjoy once only, and for one instant of time; but to assure for ever, the way of his future desires.
Fear of power invisible, feigned by the mind or imagined from tales publicly allowed, is religion; not allowed, superstition.
It is fairer to tax people on what they extract from the economy, as roughly measured by their consumption, than to tax them on what they produce for the economy, as roughly measured by their income.
Power as is really divided, and as dangerously to all purposes, by sharing with another an Indirect Power, as a Direct one.
Immortality is a belief grounded upon other men's sayings, that they knew it supernaturally; or that they knew those who knew them that knew others that knew it supernaturally.
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.
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.
I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.
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.
The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.
Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair.
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.
