60+ Thomas Hobbes Quotes | Minimalist Quotes

If I read as many books as most men do, I would be as dull-witted as they are.
THOMAS HOBBES

Book Man Philosophy Read Sarcastic
Words are the counters of wise men, and the money of fools.
THOMAS HOBBES

Fool Man Money Philosophy Wise Word
The secret thoughts of a man run over all things, holy, profane, clean, obscene, grave, and light, without shame or blame.
THOMAS HOBBES

Blame Clean Man Religious Secret Shame Thought
Eloquence, with flattery, disposeth men to confide in them that have it; because the former is seeming wisdom, the latter seeming kindness.
THOMAS HOBBES

Kind Man Philosophy Wisdom
Fact be virtuous, or vicious, as Fortune pleaseth.
THOMAS HOBBES

Fact Fortune Virtue
No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
THOMAS HOBBES

Art Death Fear Letter Life Man Philosophy Short Society Violence
The understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled.
THOMAS HOBBES

Flame Passion Philosophy Understand
Look not at the greatness of the evil past, but the greatness of the good to follow.
THOMAS HOBBES

Evil Follow Good Great Past
Men are moved by appetites and aversions.
THOMAS HOBBES

Man Move Philosophy
True’ and ‘false’ are attributes of speech, not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither ‘truth’ nor ‘falsehood.
THOMAS HOBBES

False Philosophy Truth
Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man, the same consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal.
THOMAS HOBBES

Enemy Man Philosophy Secure Strength Time War
I often observe the absurdity of dreams, but never dream of the absurdity of my waking thoughts.
THOMAS HOBBES

Dream Myself Philosophy Thought
Leisure is the mother of Philosophy.
THOMAS HOBBES

Fun Leisure Mother One Liner Philosophy
If men are naturally in a state of war, why do they always carry arms and why do they have keys to lock their doors?
THOMAS HOBBES

Always Carry Lock Man Natural Philosophy War
In the very shadows of doubt a thread of reason (so to speak) begins, by whose guidance we shall escape to the clearest light.
THOMAS HOBBES

Clear Doubt Escape Guidance Light Philosophy Shadow
The light of humane minds is perspicuous words, but by exact definitions first snuffed, and purged from ambiguity, reason is the pace.
THOMAS HOBBES

Human Light Philosophy Reason Word
The condition of man . . . is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.
THOMAS HOBBES

Man Philosophy War
The Power of a Man is his present means, to obtain some future apparent Good.
THOMAS HOBBES

Future Good Man Philosophy Power
As a draft-animal is yoked in a wagon, even so the spirit is yoked in this body.
THOMAS HOBBES

Animal Body Philosophy Spirit
Fear of things invisible is the natural seed of that which every one in himself calleth religion.
THOMAS HOBBES

Fear Himself Natural Religious
Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.
THOMAS HOBBES

Force Fraud Virtue War
Power simply is no more, but the excess of the power of one above that of another.
THOMAS HOBBES

Deep Philosophy Power Simple
For it can never be that war shall preserve life, and peace destroy it.
THOMAS HOBBES

Destroy Life Peace Philosophy War
A great leap in the dark.
THOMAS HOBBES

Darkness Great Leap
For such is the nature of man, 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.
THOMAS HOBBES

Believe Hard Man Nature Wise
For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man’s nature, than to excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice.
THOMAS HOBBES

Justice Man Nature Philosophy
Philosophy excludes the doctrine of angels, and all such things as are thought to be neither bodies nor properties of bodies.
THOMAS HOBBES

Angel Body Philosophy Thing

Thomas Hobbes Quotes

Famous Philosopher