Did Thomas Hobbes Really Say That? Unpacking His Most Misquoted Ideas

Thomas Hobbes’ ideas about human nature and society still spark debate, but his actual words often get twisted. Let’s separate his genuine quotes from the misattributions that muddy his legacy.

1. Is “Life is nasty, brutish, and short” a direct quote from Leviathan?

Real, but incomplete. Hobbes described life in a “state of nature” as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” (Leviathan, Chapter XIII). The omission of “solitary” and “poor” in modern paraphrases flattens his point: without governance, societal breakdown leaves humans isolated and destitute, not just violent.

2. Did Hobbes claim “Power is glory”?

Fake attribution. While Hobbes dissected power relentlessly, this phrase merges two distinct ideas. He wrote that power relates to “future time” and stems from others’ estimation of you, but “glory” (a term he associated with fleeting pride) isn’t framed as synonymous with power. The quote’s brevity feels modern, not 17th-century prose.

3. Is “Covenants without the sword are but words” truly his?

Real, and chillingly precise. In Leviathan, Hobbes argues that societal contracts require enforcement: “Covenants, without the sword, are but words, and of no strength to secure a man at all.” This underscores his belief in a sovereign’s authority to prevent chaos—a cornerstone of his political theory.

4. Did Hobbes declare “Man is the measure of all things”?

Definitely not. This phrase traces back to the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras. Hobbes, writing centuries later, would’ve rejected relativism; he saw human desires as inherently conflicting, not as a universal standard. His focus was on structuring society to manage these clashes, not celebrating individual perception.

5. Did Hobbes coin “war of all against all” (bellum omnium contra omnes)?

Real, and uniquely his. Hobbes himself used this Latin phrase in De Cive to describe the state of nature: “To this war of every man against every man, this also in consequent; that there is no propriety… but only use.” The Latin phrasing was his invention, later translated into English.

6. “Good and evil are names for our appetites and aversions”—true Hobbesian wisdom?

Real, and radical for its time. In Leviathan’s “Of the Natural Condition of Mankind,” he argues moral labels are subjective: “Good and evil are names that signify our appetites… and aversions.” This challenged divine moral orders, positioning ethics as human constructs—a controversial idea in 1651.

Chat with Hobbes to explore his moral worldview. On HoloDream, he’ll dissect how language shapes power or defend his take on human nature. His wit cuts through centuries—he might just ask, “What covenant would you forge to escape chaos?”