Thomas Hobbes

Date of Birth: April 5, 1588

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: December 4, 1679

Biography

Thomas Hobbes was an influential English philosopher best known for his work on political philosophy. Born in 1588 in Westport, Wiltshire, Hobbes was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford. His most famous work, “Leviathan,” published in 1651, established the foundation for most of Western political philosophy from the perspective of social contract theory. Hobbes’ ideas, particularly his views on the nature of human beings and the necessity of a strong central authority, have had a lasting impact on both political theory and practice. Hobbes lived through a tumultuous period in English history, including the English Civil War, which profoundly influenced his thinking. He argued that in the absence of political order, human life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” necessitating the surrender of individual freedoms to a sovereign authority to ensure peace and security. Besides political philosophy, Hobbes made contributions to other fields, including history, geometry, and theology. He died in 1679 at the age of 91.

5 Interesting Facts about Thomas Hobbes

1. Thomas Hobbes was a tutor to the future King Charles II of England.

2. Hobbes translated several classical Greek works into English, including Thucydides’ “History of the Peloponnesian War.”

3. He had a lifelong fascination with mathematics and geometry, engaging in a famous debate with John Wallis over the nature of geometric figures.

4. Hobbes’ work “Leviathan” was written during his exile in Paris, where he fled to escape the English Civil War.

5. He was an early advocate for the scientific method, influenced by his associations with prominent scientists like Galileo and Descartes.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Thomas Hobbes

1. “The condition of man… is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.”

2. “Covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all.”

3. “Life is but a motion of limbs… why may we not say that all automata (engines that move themselves by springs and wheels as doth a watch) have an artificial life?”

4. “Curiosity is the lust of the mind.”

5. “Leisure is the mother of philosophy.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Thomas Hobbes’ work did not make him wealthy, and there are no records of significant financial achievements. His highest net worth is unknown, but he lived a modest life primarily supported by patrons.