Thomas Hobbes Biography - Profile, Childhood, Personal Life, Major Works

Thomas Hobbes Biography - Profile, Childhood, Personal Life, Major Works

Full Name: Thomas Hobbes
Nickname: Tommy
Father: Thomas Hobbes Sr.                   

Mother: His mother's name is unknown
Date of Birth: 5 April 1588
Birth Place: Westport, Wiltshire, England
Date of Death: 4 December 1679 (aged 91)
Death Place: Derbyshire, England
Cause of Death: Stroke
Remains: Buried, Churchyard in Ault Hucknall, England
Religion: Christian
Race or Ethnicity: White
Education: Hertford College, Oxford (1603 – 1608)
Occupation: Philosopher, Sociologist
Region: Western Philosophers
Nationality: England
Main Interests: Political philosophy, History, Ethics, Geometry
Notable Ideas: Modern founder of the social contract tradition; Life in the state of nature
Influenced By: Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Descartes, Thucydides, Tacitus, Lucretius, Gassendi, Galileo, Machiavelli
Influenced: All subsequent Western political philosophy; John Locke, David Hume, Rousseau, Adam Smith, Gottfried Leibniz
Major Writing: Leviathan (1651), Human Nature and DeCorpore Politico (1640), The Elements of Law Natural and Politic (1640), De Cive (Latin), Ecclesiasticall and Civil and De Corpore (Latin)


English philosopher and sociologist Thomas Hobbes (5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) is best known for his works on political philosophy. His famous work Leviathan was published in 1651, a sort of political treatise which referred to the natural existence of human beings as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short."

Childhood & Early Life:
Thomas Hobbes was born on 5 April 1588 in Westport near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England. His father, Thomas Hobbes Sr. was the vicar of Charlton and Westport. His mother's name is unknown. His childhood is almost a complete blank. His father left the 3 siblings to be taken care of their elder brother. Hobbes was educated at Westport church from the age of four then then to a private school, Malmesbury School. In 1603, He entered Magdalen Hall. In 1608, Hobbes gained bachelor's degree and becomes tutor to the son of William Cavendish. In 1610, he went abroad to a tour of France and Italy. After returned, for living in London afforded him opportunities of becoming acquainted with Francis Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh, Ben Jonson and the other distinguished men of the time. In 1628, English translation of Thucydides got published. In 1629, Became tutor for the son of Sir Gervase Clinton. In 1634, he visited Paris and on this occasion he met to Marin Mersenne. He came back to England in 1637.

Later Life & Death:
In 1640 political turmoil compelled him to leave England for France where he continued to associate with scholars and scientists of Europe including Galileo and René Descartes. In 1640, he was published a short treatise named The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic. Hobbes suffered from a serious illness in 1647. Later he was published, Leviathan (1651), De Cive (1651), De Homine (1657), De Corpore (1665). His last works were a translation of Homer and History of the Civil Wars. In 1672, completed his own autobiography. He was died on 4 December 1679 and he was buried at Churchyard in Ault Hucknall, England.

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown Philosopher, Sociologist

Epicurus Biography - Profile, Childhood, Personal Life, Major Writings

Full Name: Epicurus
Known AS: Founder of the Epicurean School

Father Name: Neocles (teacher)
Mother Name: Chairestrate
Marital Status: Never Married
Date of Birth: 04 February 341 BC
Birth Place: Samos, Athens, Greece
Date of Death: 270 BC (aged 72)
Death Place: Athens, Greece
Cause of Death: Kidney Stones
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Philosopher
Nationality: Ancient Greece
Major Writings: Letter on happiness, Epicurea

Influenced: Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Jefferson, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Michel Onfray, David Hume, Philodemus, Michel Foucault, Pierre Gassendi, Han Ryner

Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341 BC-270 BC) is one of the famous philosophers in the Hellenistic period. He is considered as the founder of the Epicurean School. Epicurus was the first of the philosophers who supported the atomic theory. His works influenced most of modern philosopher.

Early Life & Childhood:

Epicurus was born on 04 February 341 BC in Samos, Athens, Greece after six years of Plato's death. He studied philosophy with a Platonist teacher named Pamphilus. At the age of 18, Epicurus moved to Athens where he served his military service for two years. After leaving his military service, he joined with his family in Samos, Athens. Then he studied under Nausiphanes. After that, Epicurus moved to Lampsacus where he founded a school.

Personal Life:

Epicurus's father Neocles was a teacher and his mother named Chairestrate. His family immigrated on the Aegean island of Samos before few years of his birth. Epicurus un married.

Later Life & Death:

In 306 BC, Epicurus returned to Athens and bought some land. He founded a school on this land named The Garden. Epicurus as well as his school showed an indifferent for the formal logic of Aristotle and the Stoics. Epicurus played an important role to the development of science and the scientific method. His ideas about nature and physics predicted the important scientific concepts of our present time. Epicurus died on 270 BC after suffering from kidney stones.

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown Philosopher