Hobbesian Quotes
Aug 5, 2019 07:03:33 #
slatten49
Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
Thomas Hobbes (5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679), was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. The following is just a glimpse of his thoughts....
Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.
Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
Humans are driven by a perpetual and restless desire of power.
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.
The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.
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.
Hell is T***h Seen Too Late.
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.
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.
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.
To say God spake or appeared as he is in his own nature, is to deny his Infiniteness, Invisibility, Incomprehensibility.
If I had read as much as other men I would have known no more than they.
To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues.
If nobody makes you do it, it counts as fun.
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. In such condition there is no place for industry... no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; 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.
Where there is no common power, there is no law.
The passions of men are commonly more potent than their reason.
All men, among themselves, are by nature equal. The ine******y we now discern hath its spring from the civil law.
Curiosity is the lust of the mind.
As soon as a thought darts, I write it down.
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.
Religions are like pills, which must be swallowed whole without chewing.
So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory. The first maketh men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third, for reputation. The first use violence, to make themselves masters of other men's persons, wives, children, and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of undervalue, either direct in their persons or by reflection in their kindred, their friends, their nation, their profession, or their name.
Men measure not only other men, but all other things, by themselves.
Silence is sometimes an argument of Consent.
Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.
Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
Humans are driven by a perpetual and restless desire of power.
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.
The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.
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.
Hell is T***h Seen Too Late.
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.
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.
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.
To say God spake or appeared as he is in his own nature, is to deny his Infiniteness, Invisibility, Incomprehensibility.
If I had read as much as other men I would have known no more than they.
To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues.
If nobody makes you do it, it counts as fun.
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. In such condition there is no place for industry... no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; 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.
Where there is no common power, there is no law.
The passions of men are commonly more potent than their reason.
All men, among themselves, are by nature equal. The ine******y we now discern hath its spring from the civil law.
Curiosity is the lust of the mind.
As soon as a thought darts, I write it down.
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.
Religions are like pills, which must be swallowed whole without chewing.
So that in the nature of man, we find three principal causes of quarrel. First, competition; secondly, diffidence; thirdly, glory. The first maketh men invade for gain; the second, for safety; and the third, for reputation. The first use violence, to make themselves masters of other men's persons, wives, children, and cattle; the second, to defend them; the third, for trifles, as a word, a smile, a different opinion, and any other sign of undervalue, either direct in their persons or by reflection in their kindred, their friends, their nation, their profession, or their name.
Men measure not only other men, but all other things, by themselves.
Silence is sometimes an argument of Consent.
Aug 5, 2019 10:07:33 #
working class stiff
Loc: N. Carolina
Interesting post, slatten.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
Aug 5, 2019 10:23:28 #
slatten49
Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
working class stiff wrote:
Interesting post, slatten.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
My friend, it comes as no surprise that, IMO, you grasp the gist of Hobbes' words.
I have been questioned by other posters as to why I choose to quote others so often. Simply put, it is due to the eloquence of their words far surpassing mine.
Aug 5, 2019 10:59:30 #
slatten49 wrote:
Thomas Hobbes (5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679), was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. The following is just a glimpse of his thoughts....
Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.
Government is necessary, not because man is naturally bad... but because man is by nature more individualistic than social.
I have an issue with this. He says more clearly why government is necessary when he says "Humans are driven by a perpetual and restless desire of power" and I'm not sure he isn't confusing individualism with selfishness as well.
Humans universally reject God's rule and demand a king so a king we get.
Quote:
Life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nas... (show quote)
Sounds like he had a bad experience. Mine says God gave me a brain, reason and curiosity to use...and enjoy.Quote:
So that in the nature of man, we find three princi... (show quote)
Lust of the Flesh...
Lust of the Eye...
The P***e of Life...
Aug 5, 2019 11:01:14 #
working class stiff wrote:
Interesting post, slatten.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
Sounds like Hobbes supported co-operation and social interaction in our affairs.
Some bitter wisdom in his thoughts.
Kind of like Twain in a way.
It makes me a bit sad for him.
Aug 5, 2019 11:02:01 #
working class stiff
Loc: N. Carolina
slatten49 wrote:
My friend, it comes as no surprise that, IMO, you grasp the gist of Hobbes' words.
I have been questioned by other posters as to why I choose to quote others so often. Simply put, it is due to the eloquence of their words far surpassing mine.
I have been questioned by other posters as to why I choose to quote others so often. Simply put, it is due to the eloquence of their words far surpassing mine.
We usually here the 'nasty, brutish, and short' part of his quote, as though that was his final assessment. It's good to see that he wasn't only so pessimistic....that we can do something to ameliorate that state of affairs.
BTW, I think you underestimate your own eloquence.
Aug 5, 2019 11:03:17 #
slatten49
Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
BigMike wrote:
Some bitter wisdom in his thoughts.
Kind of like Twain in a way.
It makes me a bit sad for him.
Kind of like Twain in a way.
It makes me a bit sad for him.
Comments (both) noted.
Aug 5, 2019 11:08:25 #
Aug 5, 2019 11:22:02 #
slatten49
Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas
BigMike wrote:
It was a good post.
Glad for your feedback, Mike
It was intended for deep & soulful thinkers such as yourself. Aug 6, 2019 07:35:29 #
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