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It is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it be by the length of an account wherein he may perhaps forget what went before. For all men by nature reason alike, and well, when they have good principles.

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
Good
Forget
Alike
Men
Fall
Account
Easy
Length
Nature
Accounts
May
Unless
Reason
Perhaps
Wells
Principles
Wherein
Well
Went
Absurdity

More quotes by Thomas Hobbes

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A man cannot lay down the right of resisting them that assault him by force, to take away his life.
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But yet they that have no Science , are in better, and nobler condition with their naturall Prudence than men, that by their mis-reasoning, or by trusting them that reason wrong, fall upon false and absurd generall rules.
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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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A Covenant not to defend myself from force, by force, is always void. For... no man can transfer or lay down his Right to save himself from Death.
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The object of man's desire is not to enjoy once only, and for one instant of time but to assure for ever, the way of his future desires.
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But if one Subject giveth Counsell to another, to do anything contrary to the Lawes, whether that Counsell proceed from evil intention, or from ignorance onely, it is punishable by the Common-wealth because igorance of the Law, is no good excuse, where every man is bound to take notice of the Lawes to which he is subject.
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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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Moral philosophy is nothing else but the science of what is good, and evil, in the conversation, and society of mankind. Good, and evil, are names that signify our appetites, and aversions which in different tempers, customs, and doctrines of men, are different.
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This is that law of the Gospel whatsoever you require that others should do to you, that do ye to them.
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Leisure is the mother of philosophy and commonwealth, the mother of peace and leisure.
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In a Democracy, look how many Demagogs that is how many powerful Orators there are with the people.
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Ignorance of the law is no good excuse, where every man is bound to take notice of the laws to which he is subject.
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The right of nature... is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature that is to say, of his own life.
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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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Understanding is by the flame of the passions never enlightened, but dazzled.
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Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.
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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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Intemperance is naturally punished with diseases rashness, with mischance injustice with violence of enemies pride, with ruin cowardice, with oppression and rebellion, with slaughter.
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A covenant not to defend myself from force by force is always void. For ... no man can transfer or lay down his Right to save himself. For the right men have by Nature to protect themselves, when none else can protect them, can by no Covenant be relinquished. ... [The right] to defend ourselves [is the] summe of the Right of Nature.
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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.
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