Quotes from Leviathan

And the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

The condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.

Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called Warre; and such a warre, as is of every man, against every man.

And Covenants, without the Sword, are but Words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.

Covenants, without the sword, are but words and of no strength to secure a man at all.

This is the Generation of that great LEVIATHAN, or rather (to speake more reverently) of that Mortall God, to which wee owe under the Immortall God, our peace and defence.

So that in the first place, I put for a generall inclination of all mankind, a perpetuall and restlesse desire of Power after power, that ceaseth onely in Death.

every man has a Right to every thing; even to one anothers body.

So that in the nature of man, we find three principall causes of quarrel. First, Competition; Secondly, Diffidence; Thirdly, Glory.

Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice. Force, and Fraud, are in warre the two Cardinall vertues.

The first branch, of which Rule, containeth the first, and Fundamentall Law of Nature; which is, "To seek Peace, and follow it."

For words are wise mens counters, they do but reckon by them: but they are the mony of fooles.

The Papacy, is no other, than the Ghost of the deceased Romane Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.

Felicity is a continuall progresse of the desire, from one object to another; the attaining of the former, being still but the way to the later.

Imagination therefore is nothing but Decaying Sense.

Leasure is the mother of Philosophy; and Common-wealth, the mother of Peace, and Leasure.