Philosopher Profiles
Thomas Hobbes
(1588 — 1679)
Hobbes was always the shortest boy in his class, and as such was ridiculed by his classmates. This affected Hobbes' temperament making him somewhat of a bully: by the time he was an adult Hobbes was well known for being nasty, brutish, and short.
Hobbes’ major philosophical work is The Leviathan (so called because of its size: being at war with everyone Hobbes often used it to bludgeon anyone who disagreed with his social contract theory), in which he posits a political theory based on the principle that people, in their natural state, are always at war with everyone. While this view is indeed quite interesting and (depending on one’s company) sometimes quite plausible, it seems a bit disingenuous coming from Hobbes since he perpetually used his philosophy to explain away his numerous crimes against humanity.
Written By: Ian Church, James Wright
Created: 2nd February, 2008 | Last Updated: 19th February, 2008
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(Image of Thomas Hobbes is public domain.)
Photograph
Hobbes was born at the age of 64.
Stats
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Main Contributions:
The Leviathan -
Quotation:
“The condition of man... is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” -
Key Areas:
Philosophy in General, Political Philosophy -
Annoying Habits:
Surrounding his house with barbed-wire and a complex system of trenches -
Nicknames:
Mr. Optimistic
Top Trumps
- Beard: 3
- Fame: 4
- Logic: 3
- Readability: 4
- Contribution: 3
