If you are searching for the best Thomas Hobbes quotes, you are in the right place. Hobbes, the influential English philosopher, shaped the foundations of modern political realism with profound observations on human nature, power, and society. His words remain relevant centuries later, offering guidance for anyone interested in understanding authority, law, and the complexities of human relationships. This collection of the best Thomas Hobbes quotes showcases his sharp insight and enduring wisdom, providing both inspiration and reflection for those delving into political theory or simply seeking timeless truths about the world around us.
🛡️ On Human Nature
“The condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“No arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Curiosity is the lust of the mind.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“For the laws of nature, as justice, equity, modesty, mercy, and in sum, doing to others as we would be done to, of themselves, without the terror of some power to cause them to be observed, are contrary to our natural passions.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“In the state of nature, profit is the measure of right.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Man is distinguished, not only by his reason, but also by this singular passion, from all other animals—that he has a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceases only in death.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“And because the condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone, there is no place for industry.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Desire of ease, and sensual delight, disposes men to obey a common power.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The passions of men are commonly more potent than their reason.”
— Thomas Hobbes
🏛️ On Power and Sovereignty
“Covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“A sovereign is the soul of the commonwealth.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The right of all sovereigns is derived from the consent of those who are governed.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The sovereign must have the power to rule and judge controversies.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Authority, not truth, makes the law.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“No man can without injustice protest against the institution of the sovereign.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“He that is bound to another will in the end be master of his master.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“To obey the law, is to defer to the sovereign’s power for peace and security.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“A multitude of men, are made one person when they are by one man, or one person, represented.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“A king is mortal God, to whom we owe under the immortal God, our peace and defence.”
— Thomas Hobbes
🐍 On Fear and Security
“It is not wisdom but authority that makes a law.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Fear of oppression disposes a man to anticipate or to seek protection from some powerful authority.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long as the power lasts by which he is able to protect them.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Force, and fraud, are in war the two cardinal virtues.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“No man is so foolish as to prefer war to peace.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Covenants entered into by fear, in the condition of mere nature, are valid.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Safety of the people requires supreme authority.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Men are moved to civil society by fear of death and want of necessities of life.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The value or worth of a man is, as of all other things, his price.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Justice, therefore, that is to say, keeping of covenant, is a rule of reason by which we are forbidden to do that which is destructive to our life.”
— Thomas Hobbes
⚖️ On Laws and Justice
“Justice is the constant will of giving every man his own.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“To break a covenant is unjust, and the definition of injustice is no other than the not performance of covenant.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Law is made by consent, and men are bound to observe it for the public good.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“A law of nature is a precept or general rule, found out by reason, by which a man is forbidden to do that which is destructive of his life.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“No law can oblige a man to abandon his own preservation.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Where no law, no injustice.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The law is the public conscience.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Civil law is to every subject, those rules which the commonwealth hath commanded to be observed by each of them, in particular.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The law of the multitude is not always the law of reason.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Good laws are the only chains that keep men from being wolves to one another.”
— Thomas Hobbes
🧩 On Reason and Society
“Reason is the scout and the will the general.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Words are wise men’s counters, they do but reckon with them; but they are the money of fools.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Science is the knowledge of consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“To speak impartially, both amongst philosophers and amongst the vulgar, there is no delight in society, but what is drawn from the mutual utility men find in each other’s company.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject, but man only.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“In deliberation, the last appetite or aversion immediately adhering to the action, or to the omission thereof, is that which we call the will.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“The society of men is maintained not by faith, but by the mutual fear each man has of the others.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Seeing then that wisdom is nothing else but knowledge of good and evil, and of the causes of these, there is no man that has not more or less degree thereof.”
— Thomas Hobbes
“Leisure is the mother of philosophy.”
— Thomas Hobbes
We hope these best Thomas Hobbes quotes have offered insight into the enduring realities of power, society, and human nature. Hobbes’s sharp perspective on political realism continues to challenge and inspire thinkers in philosophy, politics, and beyond. Whether you’re navigating modern governance or seeking to understand the deeper motives driving human behavior, these ideas remain as relevant as ever. Thank you for exploring Hobbes’s wisdom with us—let his reflections fuel your curiosity and critical thinking on the world around you.
About Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was an English philosopher whose work has profoundly shaped political philosophy and social theory. Best known for his seminal book “Leviathan,” Hobbes introduced the concept of the social contract, arguing that individuals consent to give up some freedoms in exchange for order and security provided by a sovereign authority. His views on human nature—that people are naturally self-interested and driven by a desire for self-preservation—form the foundation of political realism. Hobbes’s ideas continue to influence debates on authority, individual rights, and the structure of effective governance.
