Q0245
“Felicity is a continual progress of the desire, from one object to…” — Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan VI)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Leviathan VI. Theme: desire.
English
Felicity is a continual progress of the desire, from one object to another.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Leviathan VI and files it under Social Contract Theory. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) was the English philosopher of absolutist sovereignty and mechanistic psychology, author of Leviathan (1651). Tutor and associate of aristocratic families, he weathered Civil War exile in Paris and scientific debate with Boyle’s circle.
How to read this passage
Ethics and moral psychology analyze appetite, love, ambition, and addiction. Stoic, Buddhist, and psychoanalytic traditions treat desire as trainable rather than merely given. This passage enters that discussion through desire, happiness.
Concepts in this quote
- Desire
- Desire drives action and suffering alike; philosophy asks which desires to educate, restrain, or affirm.
- Happiness
- Happiness—or flourishing—is a central aim in ethics: what makes a life go well, and whether pleasure alone is enough.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Thomas Hobbes. (n.d.). Felicity is a continual progress of the desire, from one object to another. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0245
MLA: Thomas Hobbes. “Felicity is a continual progress of the desire,….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0245.
Chicago: Thomas Hobbes. “Felicity is a continual progress of the desire,….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0245.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Felicity is a continual progress of the desire,…”?
The passage is attributed to Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan VI. The archive attributes this English wording to Leviathan VI and files it under Social Contract Theory. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Thomas Hobbes mean by desire?
Ethics and moral psychology analyze appetite, love, ambition, and addiction. Stoic, Buddhist, and psychoanalytic traditions treat desire as trainable rather than merely given. This passage enters that discussion through desire, happiness.