Thomas Hobbes By Nicole Service, Christine Mountain, Jessica Trevisan, and Liz Guilmette

BIOGRAPHY  Born prematurely - April 5, 1588 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England  Father was the vicar of Westport – fled to London after being involved in a brawl outside his own church  Left Hobbes to be raised by his wealthy uncle  Great intellectual talents recognized as a boy/ cultivated through learning Latin and Greek

 Educated at Westport Church beginning at age 4  Attended Malmesbury School  Then attended a private school kept by an Oxford graduate  continued education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford.  Greatly pursued his own curriculum due to lack of interest in scholastic learning of his time  Graduated from Oxford University in EDUCATION

 Tutored William Cavendish and son  Then, tutored the son of Sir Gervase Clifton  Later tutored math to future King Charles II  Expanded knowledge of philosophy and tutored for the next seven years  Gave him an opportunity to make connections JOB

 Wrote 81 books  Most famous works: Leviathan and De Cive  Focus on moral/political philosophy, religious issues  The Elements of Law: supported the King  De Homine and Behemoth: English civil wars BOOKS

 Did not believe people could govern themselves – they only strive for personal benefit  Believed that humankind was bad and humans were naturally selfish  Thought that humans should give their obedience to an unaccountable sovereign  If humans tried to govern themselves, they would fall into a “state of nature” similar to Civil War  “Nature should thus dissociate and render men apt to invade and destroy one another” - Leviathan PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS

 Believed in absolute monarchies – humans have no ability to govern themselves due to their selfish and evil nature  Contributed to the new political idea that monarchies should make decisions based on the good of the people  If they were not trying to benefit the people, they should be replaced GOVERNMENTAL BELIEFS

 Overthrow of monarchies that don’t benefit the people gives colonists ideas  English monarchy upsets the colonists  Social contract – the sovereign has a “right of nature” to judge what is right and wrong  Colonists don’t like being told what to do – leads to a want for independence EFFECT