Thomas Hobbes

In the state of nature, the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This is not a description of what I think of my fellow men. It is a logical consequence of their equality. When two men desire the same thing, which they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies. In the absence of a common power to overawe them, they are in a condition...

The condition of man is a condition of war of every one against every one — in which case every one is governed by his own reason, and there is nothing he can make use of that may not be a help to him in preserving his life against his enemies. It follows that in such a condition every man has a right to every thing, including to one another's body. And...

In the state of nature the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This is not a description of primitive savages in some distant land. It is a logical consequence. Remove the enforced peace of the sovereign and all men are in competition for scarce resources, fearful of one another, and capable of killing one another — for in matters of...

In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain; no culture of the earth; no navigation; no commodious building; no arts; no letters; no society. And the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. This is not an insult to mankind. It is a warning about life without common power.

The passions that incline men to peace are fear of death, desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living, and a hope by industry to obtain them. Peace is not produced because men become angels. It is produced because reason teaches frightened creatures the terms of survival.

During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war.

Curiosity is the lust of the mind, that by a perseverance of delight in the continual and indefatigable generation of knowledge, exceedeth the short vehemence of any carnal pleasure.

The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject but man only. And of men, those are of all most subject to it that profess philosophy.

The reputation of power is power.

Words are wise men's counters, they do but reckon by them; but they are the money of fools, that value them by the authority of an Aristotle, a Cicero, or a Thomas, or any other doctor whatsoever, if but a man.

Leisure is the mother of philosophy; and Commonwealth, the mother of peace and leisure. Where first were great and flourishing cities, there was first the study of philosophy.

There is no such thing as perpetual tranquility of mind, while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without desire, nor without fear, no more than without sense.