Thomas Hobbes Quotes
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The world is governed by opinion.
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Such truth, as opposeth no man's profit, nor pleasure, is to all men welcome.
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It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.
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The Scripture was written to shew unto men the kingdom of God; and to prepare their minds to become his obedient subjects; leavingthe world, and the Philosophy thereof, to the disputation of men, for the exercising of their natural Reason.
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Wisdom, properly so called, is nothing else but this: the perfect knowledge of the truth in all matters whatsoever.
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No arts, no letters - no society.
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Fact be vertuous, or vicious, as Fortune pleaseth.
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And in these four things, opinion of ghosts , ignorance of second causes, devotion towards what men fear , and taking of things casual for prognostics , consisteth the natural seed of religion ; which by reason of the different fancies, judgments and passions of several men, has grown up into ceremonies so different, that those which are used by one man, are for the most part ridiculous to another.
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For it is with the mysteries of our religion, as with wholesome pills for the sick, which swallowed whole, have the virtue to cure; but chewed, are for the most part cast up again without effect.
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For it can never be that war shall preserve life, and peace destroy it.
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Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair.
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No man is bound by the words themselves, either to kill himselfe, or any other man.
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A naturall foole that could never learn by heart the order of numerall words, as one , two , and three , may observe every stroak of the Clock, and nod to it, or say one, one, one; but can never know what houre it strikes.
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There is no such thing as perpetual tranquility of mind while we live here.
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That a man be willing, when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defense of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things; and be contented with so much liberty against other men, as he would allow other men against himself.
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The Register of Knowledge of Fact is called History.
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Ambition, and Covetousnesse are Passions that are perpetually incumbent, and pressing.
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True and false are attributes of speech not of things. And where speech is not, there is neither truth nor falsehood. Error theremay be, as when we expect that which shall not be; or suspect what has not been: but in neither case can a man be charged with untruth.
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He that has most experience [is] so much more prudent than he that is new, as not to be equalled by any advantage of natural and extemporary wit- though many young men think the contrary.
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Geometry is the only science that it hath pleased God hitherto to bestow on mankind.
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If any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies.
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Because silver and gold have their value from the matter itself, they have first this privilege, that the value of them cannot be altered by the power of one, nor of a few commonwealths, as being a common measure of the commodities of all places. But base money may easily be enhanced or abased.
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The science which teacheth arts and handicrafts is merely science for the gaining of a living; but the science which teacheth deliverance from worldly existence, is not that the true science?
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It is many times with a fraudulent Design that men stick their corrupt Doctrine with the Cloves of other mens Wit.