Q0246
“the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” — Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan XIII)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Leviathan XIII. Theme: nature.
English
the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Leviathan XIII 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
Nature may mean physical cosmos, living world, human nature, or a normative standard of what ought to be. Presocratics, Daoists, Stoics, and modern environmental thinkers share the word while disagreeing about its force. This passage enters that discussion through nature, order.
Concepts in this quote
- Nature
- Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
- Order
- Order names cosmos, ritual, law, and the patterned stability that makes shared life possible—or oppressive.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Thomas Hobbes. (n.d.). the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0246
MLA: Thomas Hobbes. “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0246.
Chicago: Thomas Hobbes. “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0246.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish,…”?
The passage is attributed to Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan XIII. The archive attributes this English wording to Leviathan XIII 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 nature?
Nature may mean physical cosmos, living world, human nature, or a normative standard of what ought to be. Presocratics, Daoists, Stoics, and modern environmental thinkers share the word while disagreeing about its force. This passage enters that discussion through nature, order.