Leviathan Quotes

“Eloquence, with flattery, disposeth men to confide in them that have it; because the former is seeming wisdom, the latter seeming kindness. Add to them military reputation and it disposeth men to adhere and subject themselves to those men that have them. The two former, having given them caution against danger from him, the latter gives them caution against danger from others.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Man-kind: which though it be hard to do, harder than to learn any Language, or Science; yet, when I shall have set down my own reading orderly, and perspicuously, the pains left another, will be onely to consider, if he also find not the same in himself. For this kind of Doctrine, admitteth no other Demonstration.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“And hence it cometh to passe, that it is a hard matter, and by many thought impossible to distinguish exactly between Sense and Dreaming. For my part, when I consider, that in Dreames, I do not often, nor constantly think of the same Persons, Places, Objects, and Actions that I do waking; nor remember so long a trayne of coherent thoughts, Dreaming, as at other times; And because waking I often observe the absurdity of Dreames, but never dream of the absurdities of my waking Thoughts; I am well satisfied, that being awake, I know I dreame not; though when I dreame, I think my selfe awake.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“Liberty and necessity are consistent: as in the water that hath not only liberty, but a necessity of descending by the channel; so, likewise in the actions which men voluntarily do, which, because they proceed their will, proceed from liberty, and yet because every act of man's will and every desire and inclination proceedeth from some cause, and that from another cause, in a continual chain (whose first link is in the hand of God, the first of all causes), proceed from necessity. So that to him that could see the connexion of those causes, the necessity of all men's voluntary actions would appear manifest.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“the understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“I put for a general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power, that ceases only in death”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“The greatest objection is, that of the Practise; when men ask, where, and when, such Power has by Subjects been acknowledged. But one may ask them again, when, or where has there been a Kingdome long free from Sedition and Civill Warre. In those Nations, whose Commonwealths have been long-lived, and not been destroyed, but by forraign warre, the Subjects never did dispute of the Soveraign Power.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“[W]hen a man hath . . . granted away his Right; then is he said to be Obliged or Bound, not to hinder those, to whom such Right is granted, or abandoned, from the benefit of it: and that he Ought and it is his Duty, not to make voyd that voluntary act of his own.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“That a man be willing, when others are so too, as farre-forth, as for Peace, and defence of himselfe 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 himselfe.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“If a society characterized by universal competition for power over others is to remain, for even the shortest length of time, a going society--and that is what Hobbes's model is--it must be one in which there are legal, peaceful ways by which men can transfer some of the powers of others to themselves, and in which everyone is constantly peacefully engaged in seeking to get or resist this transfer. It has been demonstrated elsewhere that the capitalist market model is the only one that fits these requirements.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“The Value, or Worth of a man, is as of all other things, his Price; that is to say, so much as would be given for the use of his Power . . .”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“Lastly, hee bringeth for argument, the testimony of two Popes, Innocent, and Leo; and I doubt not but hee might have alledged, with as good reason, the testimonies of all the Popes almost since S. Peter: For considering the love of Power naturally implanted in mankind, whosoever were made Pope, he would be tempted to uphold the same opinion. Neverthelesse, they should therein but doe, as Innocent, and Leo did, bear witnesse of themselves, and therefore their witness should not be good.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“[T]he constitution of man's nature is of itself subject to desire novelty.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“[T]o divide the power of a commonwealth . . . [is] to dissolve it . . . [Mixed] government is not government, but division of the commonwealth into three factions...”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“The Value, or worth of a man, is as of all other things, his Price; that is to say, so much as would be given for the use of his Power: and therefore is not absolute; but a thing dependent on the need and judgement of another. An able conductor of Souldiers, is of great Price in time of War present, or imminent; but in Peace not so.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“The Value, or worth of a man, is as of all otther thinks his Price; that is to say, so much as would be given for the use of his Power: and therefore is not absolute; but a thing dependent on the need and judgement of another. An able conductor of Souldiers, is of great Price in time of War present, or imminent; but in Peace not so.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan

“[...] los pactos que no descansan en la espada no son más que palabras [...]” (Hobbes, Leviatán. Cap XVII).”
― Hobbes Thomas, Leviathan

“• “[...] los hombre que si bien reconocen que otros son más sagaces, más elocuentes o más cultos, difícilmente llegan a creer que haya muchos tan sabios como ellos mismos, ya que cada uno ve su propio talento a la mano, y el de los demás hombres a distancia. [...]” (Hobbes, Leviatán. Cap XIII.).”
― Hobbes Thomas, Leviathan

“LET THE GAY BEGI- I MEAN GAMES BEGIN!”
― Leviathan, Leviathan

“Nature indeed plants the seeds of religion--fear and ignorance; kingcraft and priestcraft water and tend it.”
― W.G. Pogson Smith, Leviathan

“For as Prometheus, (which interpreted, is, The Prudent Man,) was bound to the hill Caucasus, a place of large prospect, where, an Eagle feeding on his liver, devoured in the day, as much as was repaired in the night: So that man, which looks too far before him, in the care of future time, hath his heart all the day long, gnawed on by Fear of death, poverty, or other calamity; and has no repose, nor pause of his anxiety, but in sleep.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan [with Biographical Introduction]

“So liegen also in der menschlichen Natur drei hauptsächliche Konfliktursachen: Erstens Konkurrenz, zweitens Mißtrauen, drittens Ruhmsucht.”
― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan