We owe the Founding Fathers’ notion of natural rights partly to Thomas Hobbes, whose “Leviathan” is one of the most radical and influential texts of the modern era.
Frontispiece of "Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes; engraving by Abraham Bosse. 1970gemini/CC0
The English philosopher only started writing about politics at 52, well past the average life expectancy in 17th-century England. What was Hobbes thinking about before his first work of political philosophy in 1640?
A Childhood Full of Fear
Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588, in Westport, a district of Malmesbury, England. His birth year coincided with the arrival of the Spanish Armada. That year, a Spanish fleet of around 130 ships set sail from Portugal to the English Channel, joining Italian allies and invading England in an attempt to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. The British resisted the invasion, but it fomented panic among England’s civilians. “And hereupon it was my Mother Dear/ Did bring forth Twins at once,” Hobbes noted in his autobiography, “both Me, and Fear.”Hobbes’ father, also named Thomas, was a minister in Westport. According to John Aubrey, Hobbes’ first biographer, his father “disesteemed learning,” which he viewed as a waste of time and money. Hobbes Sr. was also an alcoholic. After a scuffle outside his local church, he was forced to leave Westport, abandoning his family when Hobbes was a small child. Hobbes’ childless uncle, an accomplished glove manufacturer, became his primary guardian.
Given the philosopher’s tumultuous childhood, it’s not surprising that most of his famous ideas have to do with fear, death, and the struggle to stay alive. It’s also not surprising that Hobbes began his intellectual journey by studying ancient literature, which offered him the earliest examples of personal and political struggle. Indeed, the ancient world became a source of joy and wisdom throughout Hobbes’ life.
A Mind in Search of Knowledge
Studying was always part of Hobbes’ life. When he was 8, his wealthy uncle sent him to school, where he learned Latin and Greek. He was so skilled in languages that he finished a Latin translation of “Medea,” a difficult tragedy by the Greek poet Euripides, by the time he turned 14.Hobbes eventually enrolled at Oxford University, where he studied from 1603 to 1608. The traditional university curriculum in 17th-century England taught grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Hobbes was also exposed to ancient and medieval philosophy, including the “logic and physics” of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, which he contemplated for the rest of his life.
Hobbes grew increasingly dissatisfied with conventional academic teaching. Ancient languages had opened a door into the minds of the great philosophers of the past. He lamented being distracted from his study of Greek and Latin by an overly rigid pedagogy that privileged logic. Yet this obstacle didn’t quell his passion. Upon graduating from Magdalen Hall (now Hertford College) at 20, Hobbes sought to further his education independently.
He was hired as a private tutor to William Cavendish, who later became the second earl of Devonshire. William had just married, which meant he was unable to attend university. William’s father wanted him to receive a thorough education appropriate for a figure of his status, so he hired Hobbes, even though the philosopher was barely two years older than William.
William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire, by an unknown painter. Public Domain
Hobbes’ friendly relationship with the Cavendish family brought him financial stability, which allowed him to continue his inquiries into ancient texts. As he wrote:
That my Life’s sweetest Comfort was, and made My Slumbers pleasant in Night’s darkest shade. Thus I at Ease did Live, of books, whilst [Duke Cavendish] Did with all sorts supply my Library.
His study of Greek culminated in 1628, when he completed a translation of “The History of the Peloponnesian War” by the Greek historian Thucydides—the first English translation ever.The Cavendish patronage also introduced Hobbes to European aristocratic circles, where he met Galileo Galilei and Pierre Gassendi, among others. Knowing such influential scientists naturally turned his attention to science. Optics and geometry became particularly interesting. Part of Hobbes’ arsenal of radical ideas included applying geometrical principles to the study of human nature and society. In fact, he began his career as a political philosopher only after decades of writing about scientific topics.
Hobbes lived to 91, an exceptionally long life for the time. Although he returned to writing scientific works in his later years, it was his interest in ancient languages and civilizations that accompanied him from the beginning to the end of his life. Shortly before he died, an unknown editor published his autobiography, which Hobbes had written in Latin verse.
History and the Present
Hobbes’ interest in ancient languages and civilizations preceded and outlasted his interest in science and politics for at least three reasons. Hobbes’ passion for ancient works was also fueled by sheer enjoyment. He enjoyed studying the past and its languages for its own sake, often praising the geniuses of the past and reminiscing about the many hours spent considering their ideas.
Studying Latin and Greek was also a way to become a better writer. In his autobiographical reflections, Hobbes proudly showcased his knowledge of “Homer and Virgil, Horace, Sophocles,/ Plautus, Euripides, Aristophanes”; ancient authors known for their mastery of Greek or Latin. His English compositions resemble the grandiloquence of famous Greek and Roman orators. According to Don Paul Abbott, Professor of English at the University of California Davis, Hobbes studied ancient rhetoricians to find “a way to achieve a union of wisdom and eloquence in his own time.” Although he distrusted political rhetoric because it cut the English “commonwealth in pieces,” he also understood its necessity. Rhetoric makes us compelling communicators. But if it’s not coupled with sound intentions and beliefs, it can become a dangerous tool for manipulating the masses. Hobbes sought this “union” in his works. For modern readers, the philosopher’s prose can seem convoluted. For 17th-century connoisseurs, it would have been elegant and compelling, even if occasionally bombastic. That’s especially true in “Leviathan.”
Lastly, Hobbes recognized the contemporary relevance of studying the past. As he wrote in the preface to his translation of Thucydides: “For the principal and proper work of History, being to instruct and enable men, by the knowledge of actions past to bear themselves prudently in the present and providently towards the future, there is not extant any other (merely human) that doth more fully and naturally perform it then this of my author.” In other words, Thucydides was especially good at showing readers the contemporary relevance of history. The study of the past is supposed to help us become more prudent and foresighted. It’s supposed to give us clarity about the present so we can better march towards the future. According to Hobbes, no one rivaled Thucydides’ ability to explain distant events while making them relevant.
Hobbes felt the need to accomplish something similar for his day. He thought his biggest contribution towards peace and stability was his “Leviathan.” But the first attempt at helping his country’s unstable situation was his translation of the Greek historian. Hobbes wanted to offer examples of military campaigns, political maneuvers, and exemplary historical figures from which his contemporaries could learn how to act more “prudently.” As England faced a series of geopolitical crises that culminated in the bloody Civil War of 1639, this message was well worth sharing.
Hobbes was by no means the only world-shaping figure who saw the past as a fount of wisdom. Take the American Founding Fathers, whose admiration for the Western intellectual tradition informed both their private lives and their political endeavors. In this sense, the English philosopher is no exception. But his message is worth repeating: History is not just an academic discipline. It’s a source of knowledge that can help us make better, wiser choices now.
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