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A democracy is no more than an aristocracy of orators. The people are so readily moved by demagogues that control must be exercised by the government over speech and press.

Thomas Hobbes

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Thomas Hobbes
Age: 91 †
Born: 1588
Born: April 5
Died: 1679
Died: December 4
Economist
Historian
Mathematician
Philosopher
Political Scientist
Politician
Translator
Westport
Wiltshire
Hobbes
Thomas Hobbsted
Thomas Hobbes of Malflutry
Democracy
Exercised
Government
Aristocracy
Must
Readily
People
Presses
Press
Moved
Speech
Demagogues
Control
Orators

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I put for the general inclination of all mankind, a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death.
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So easy are men to be drawn to believe any thing, from such men as have gotten credit with them and can with gentleness and dexterity take hold of their fear and ignorance.
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The obligation of subjects to the sovereign is understood to last as long, and no longer, than the power lasteth by which he is able to protect them.
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When two, or more men, know of one and the same fact, they are said to be CONSCIOUS of it one to another which is as much as to know it together.
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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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Covenants without swords are but words.
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The law is more easily understood by few than many words. For all words are subject to ambiguity, and therefore multiplication of words in the body of the law is multiplication of ambiguity. Besides, it seems to imply (by too much diligence) that whosoever can evade the words is without the compass of the law.
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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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In sum, all actions and habits are to be esteemed good or evil by their causes and usefulness in reference to the commonwealth, and not by their mediocrity, nor by their being commended. For several men praise several customs, and, contrarily, what one calls vice, another calls virtue, as their present affections lead them.
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And seeing every man is presumed to do all things in order to his own benefit, no man is a fit Arbitrator in his own cause
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When all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man, by victory or death.
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For all laws are general judgements, or sentences of the legislator as also every particular judgement is a law to him whose case is judged.
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And as in other things, so in men, not the seller, but the buyer determines the Price.
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Those men that are so remissly governed that they dare take up arms to defend or introduce an opinion, are still in war, and their condition not peace, but only a cessation of arms for fear of one another, and they live as it were in the precincts of battle continually.
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Words are the counters of wise men, but the money of fools.
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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.
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For if all things were equally in all men, nothing would be prized.
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The errors of definitions multiply themselves according as the reckoning proceeds and lead men into absurdities, which at last they see but cannot avoid, without reckoning anew from the beginning.
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For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, either by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself
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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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