Thomas Hobbes Quotes - Page 10

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The cause of Sense, is the External Body, or Object, which presseth the organ proper to each Sense, either immediately, as in theTaste and Touch; or mediately, as in Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling: which pressure, by the mediation of Nerves, and other strings, and membranes of the body, continued inwards to the Brain, and Heart, causeth there a resistance, or counter- pressure, or endeavor of the heart, to deliver it self: which endeavor because Outward, seemeth to be some matter without.

Thomas Hobbes

Nature, Heart, Self

Thomas Hobbes (2008). “Leviathan”, p.21, Simon and Schuster

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When the nature of the thing is incomprehensible, I can acquiesce in the Scripture: but when the signification of words is incomprehensible, I cannot acquiesce in the authority of a Schoolman.

Thomas Hobbes

Bible, God, Scripture

Thomas Hobbes (1750). “The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...”, p.433

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I mean by the universe, the aggregate of all things that have being in themselves; and so do all men else. And because God has a being, it follows that he is either the whole universe, or part of it. Nor does his Lordship go about to disprove it, but only seems to wonder at it.

Thomas Hobbes

God, Mean, Men

Thomas Hobbes (1840). “The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury”, p.349

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The first author of speech was God himself, that instructed Adam how to name such creatures as He presented to his sight.

Thomas Hobbes

Sight, Names, Speech

Thomas Hobbes (2012). “Leviathan”, p.16, Courier Corporation

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But they that hold God to be [an incorporeal substance]do absolutely make God to be nothing at all. But how? Were they atheists? No. For though by ignorance of the consequence they said that which was equivalent to atheism, yet in their hearts they thought God a substanceSo that this atheism by consequence is a very easy thing to be fallen into, even by the most godly men of the church.

Thomas Hobbes

Atheist, Heart, Ignorance

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And therefore, as when there is a controversy in an account, the parties must by their own accord, set up for right Reason, the Reason of some Arbitrator, or Judge, to whose sentence, they will both stand, or their controversy must either come to blows, or be undecided, for want of a right Reason constituted by Nature; so is it also in all debates of what kind soever.

Thomas Hobbes

Party, Blow, Judging

Thomas Hobbes (2016). “The Essential Leviathan: A Modernized Edition”, p.25, Hackett Publishing

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To conclude, The Light of humane minds is Perspicuous Words, but by exact definitions first snuffed, and purged from ambiguity; Reason is the pace; Encrease of Science, the way; and the Benefit of man-kind, the end.

Thomas Hobbes

Science, Men, Light

Thomas Hobbes (2015). “Annotated LEVIATHAN with English Grammar Exercises: by Thomas Hobbes (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, p.38, Powell Publications, LLC

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A Covenant not to defend my selfe from force, by force, is always voyd.

Thomas Hobbes

Covenant, Force

"Leviathan". Book by Thomas Hobbes. The First Part, Chapter 14, 1651.

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And I profess still, that whatsoever the church of England (the church, I say, not every doctor) shall forbid me to say in matterof faith, I shall abstain from saying it, excepting this point, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for my sins. As for other doctrines, I think it unlawful, if the church define them, for any member of the church to contradict them.

Thomas Hobbes

Jesus, Son, Thinking

Thomas Hobbes, Thucydides, Homer (1840). “The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury”, p.367

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

Thomas Hobbes

Passion, Flames, Understanding

Thomas Hobbes (2013). “Leviathan”, p.145, Simon and Schuster

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By consequence, or train of thoughts, I understand that succession of one thought to another which is called, to distinguish it from discourse in words, mental discourse. When a man thinketh on anything whatsoever, his next thought after is not altogether so casual as it seems to be. Not every thought to every thought succeeds indifferently.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Train Of Thought, Next

Thomas Hobbes (2010). “Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition”, p.47, Broadview Press

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Corporations are may lesser commonwealths in the bowels of a greater, like worms in the entrails of a natural man.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Political, May

Thomas Hobbes (2008). “Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil”, p.259, Simon and Schuster

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When two, or more men, know of one and the same fact, they are said to be CONSCIOUS of it one to another; which is as much as to know it together.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Two, Together

Thomas Hobbes (2010). “Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition”, p.78, Broadview Press

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It is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it be by the length of an account; wherein he may perhaps forget what went before. For all men by nature reason alike, and well, when they have good principles.

Thomas Hobbes

Fall, Men, Principles

Thomas Hobbes (1750). “The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...”, p.114

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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

Science, Men, Definitions

Thomas Hobbes (1750). “The Moral and Political Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury: Never Before Collected Together : To which is Prefixed, the Author's Life, Extracted from that Said to be Written by Himself, ...”, p.109

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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

Facts, Know How, Another Time

Thomas Hobbes (2016). “The Essential Leviathan: A Modernized Edition”, p.28, Hackett Publishing

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Competition of praise inclineth to a reverence of antiquity. For men contend with the living, not with the dead.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Competition, Praise

Thomas Hobbes (2002). “Leviathan”, p.76, Broadview Press

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Nature (the Art whereby God hath made and governs the World) is by the Art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it can make an Artificial Animal. For seeing life is but a motion of Limbs, the beginning whereof is in some principal part within; why may we not say, that all Automata (Engines that move themselves by springs and wheels as doth a watch) have an artificial life?

Thomas Hobbes

Art, Nature, Spring

Thomas Hobbes (2005). “Leviathan, Parts I and II”, p.9, Broadview Press

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The Pacts and Covenants, by which the parts of this Body Politique were at first made, set together, and united, resemble that Fiat, or the Let us make man, pronounced by God in the Creation.

Thomas Hobbes

God, Men, Together

Thomas Hobbes (2015). “Leviathan”, p.43, Xist Publishing

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He that has most experience [is] so much more prudent than he that is new, as not to be equalled by any advantage of natural and extemporary wit- though many young men think the contrary.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Thinking, Prudent

Thomas Hobbes (2010). “Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition”, p.50, Broadview Press

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[Necessity is] the sum of all things, which being now existent, conduce and concur to the production of that action hereafter, whereof if any one thing now were wanting, the effect could not be produced. This concourse of causes, whereof every one is determined to be such as it is by a like concourse of former causes, may well be called (in respect they were all set and ordered by the eternal causes of all things, God Almighty) the decree of God.

Thomas Hobbes

May, Causality, Causes

Thomas Hobbes (1839). “Of Liberty and Necessity; a treatise, wherein all controversy concerning predestination, election, free will, grace, merits, reprobation, etc. is fully decided and cleared. New edition”, p.11

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And as to the faculties of the mind, setting aside the arts grounded upon words, and especially that skill of proceeding upon generall, and infallible rules, called Science; which very few have, and but in few things; as being not a native faculty, born within us; nor attained, (as Prudence,) while we look after somewhat else.

Thomas Hobbes

Art, Science, Skills

Thomas Hobbes (2015). “Annotated LEVIATHAN with English Grammar Exercises: by Thomas Hobbes (Author), Robert Powell (Editor)”, p.117, Powell Publications, LLC

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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

God, Intelligent, Past

Thomas Hobbes (2010). “Leviathan, Parts I and II - Revised Edition”, p.392, Broadview Press

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And for Incoherent Speech, it was amongst the Gentiles taken for one sort of Prophecy, because the Prophets of their Oracles, intoxicated with a spirit, or vapor from the cave of the Pythian Oracle at Delphi, were for a time really mad, and spake like mad-men; of whoose loose words a sense might be made to fit any event, in such sort, as all bodies are said to be made of Materia prima .

Thomas Hobbes

Taken, Men, Mad

Thomas Hobbes (1953). “Leviathan”, Peter Smith Pub Inc

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And if a man consider the original of this great Ecclesiastical Dominion, he will easily perceive, that the Papacy , is no other than the Ghost of the deceased Romane Empire , sitting crowned upon the grave thereof: For so did the Papacy start up on a Sudden out of the Ruines of that Heathen Power.

Thomas Hobbes

Men, Empires, Dominion

Thomas Hobbes (2010). “Leviathan - Revised Edition”, p.566, Broadview Press

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Born: April 5, 1588
Died: December 4, 1679
Occupation: Philosopher
Cite this Page: Citation

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