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Thomas Hobbes

Also known as Hobbes, Thomas Hobbsted, Thomas Hobbes of Malflutry

English philosopher (1588–1679)

AI overview

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who lived from 1588 to 1679 and developed influential ideas about government and human nature. His work matters because his theories about how societies should be organized and why people need strong authority have shaped political thinking for centuries.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Thomas
Gender: male
Citizenship: Kingdom of England
Place of birth: Westport
Place of death: Hardwick Hall
Educated at: University of Oxford
Employer: William Cavendish, 3rd Earl of Devonshire
Languages spoken: English language
Field of work: geometry
Movement: legal positivism
Image: Thomas Hobbes. Line engraving by W. Faithorne, 1668. Wellcome V0002798.jpg

Show 16 more facts

student: William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire
Commons category: Thomas Hobbes
date of birth: 1588-01-01
date of death: 1679-01-01
Commons gallery: Thomas Hobbes
topic's main category: Category:Thomas Hobbes
name in native language: Thomas Hobbes
ethnic group: English people
writing language: English language
on focus list of Wikimedia project: Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
influenced by: Francis Bacon
time period: 17th-century philosophy
Commons Creator page: Thomas Hobbes
maintained by WikiProject: WikiProject Mathematics
P12749: Christoph Martin von Degenfeld
P8168: Jacobus de Kerle

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

Works in European collections

32 objects attributed to Thomas Hobbes, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Thomas Hobbes (/hɒbz/ HOBZ; 5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) was an English philosopher and political theorist, best known for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy.

In his early life, overshadowed by his father's departure following a fight, he was taken under the care of his wealthy uncle. Hobbes's academic journey began in Westport, leading him to the University of Oxford, where he was exposed to classical literature and mathematics. He then graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1608. He became a tutor to the Cavendish family, which connected him to intellectual circles and initiated his extensive travels across Europe. These experiences, including meetings with figures like Galileo, shaped his intellectual development.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Thomas Hobbes” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.