Often hailed as the founder of modern political thought, 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes intellectually upended society with his groundbreaking treatises on the ideal structure of government and the innate nature of humankind.
Though many of his unconventional ideas sparked controversy in his era, Hobbes‘ immense legacy still permeates modern governance today — from social contracts underpinning democracies worldwide to early seeds of self-interest psychology.
Shaping the Son of a Disgraced Clergyman
Born in 1588 to an notoriously unscrupulous local clergyman, Thomas Hobbes’ early surroundings seeded his later philosophies on human nature and the role of religion in society. Though his father left the family in shame when Hobbes was still young, his early influence left impacts that lingered for decades.
From age 4, Hobbes dove into his education with zeal — rapidly learning Latin and Greek by 6 years old. After graduating Oxford University, a role as a tutor for the prominent Cavendish family opened Hobbes‘ eyes to spheres of privilege, power and knowledge he had never encountered before.
"To this nobility I should attribute my first impressions of speculative philosophy" – Hobbes reflecting on the Cavendishes‘ extensive libraries later in life.
Through their elite connections, Hobbes also bonded with legendary statesman Sir Francis Bacon over captivating discussions that likely shaped Hobbes‘ future political concepts of a commonwealth with an absolute sovereign.
Pioneering Thinker or "Monster of Malmesbury"?
Never one to shy away from controversy, Hobbes freely propagated his unconventional philosophies across over 20 published books and faced the notorious consequences.
His blunt defense of absolute sovereignty earned Hobbes the label of “monster of Malmesbury” as he brazenly justified citizens sacrificing certain liberties to consent to authoritarian rule — flouting England‘s divine right of kings doctrine.
"During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war."
Yet his notion of this social contract maintained rational foundations by claiming that humankind‘s intrinsically selfish nature necessitated a supreme authority to avoid societal chaos. Despite the backlash, Hobbes‘ ideas profoundly impacted modern governance.
The famous cover imagery of Hobbes‘ 1651 seminal work Leviathan depicting the state as a huge monster composed of tiny citizens
Before His Time: Prototyping Psychology and Atheism
Far ahead of his contemporaries, Hobbes also hypothesized groundbreaking theories on human behavior and the construct of religion that outraged English society:
He asserted humans are driven by innate self-interest unless controlled through systems of rewards/punishments — predating key tenets of modern psychology formalized centuries later by scientists like Freud.
In Leviathan, Hobbes rejects conventional Christianity by boldly claiming God as an artifice that humans create out of ignorance and fear of the unknown. His views walked a fine agnostic line that many labeled impious heresy.
By destabilizing superstition in favor of rationality, Hobbes challenged the periods‘ religious institutions despite the heavy backlash. But his honesty never wavered.
Mathematics to Moral Philosophy: Uniting All Fields of Thought
Though focused on ethics and politics, Hobbes‘ contributions to science and math reinforced his mechanical perspective on philosophy. As a pioneering optician, he authored over 100 pages on light particles stimulating reactions in our organs.
Critiquing Euclid‘s geometry in the 1630s, he also devised some of the earliest concepts underpinning modern graphing coordinate systems and computing data visualizations.
In his opus De Corpore, Hobbes attempts to systemize philosophy itself upon immutable principles much like geometry and physics. By linking ethics and knowledge to science, Hobbes‘ unified framework was seminal in later development of fields linking social science, technology and governance — from economics to political science.
Enduring Legacy: Quantitative Proof
Despite staining his reputation in 17th century England, Hobbes‘ enormous contributions as a philosopher and scientist still permeate society today.
Beyond his political theories normalizing social contracts, governments worldwide still regularly cite Hobbes‘ seminal writings. Yearly citations of Hobbes‘ works have increased over 600% from 1950 to 2018 — skyrocketing from just 80 documents to over 500.
Quantitative proof of Hobbes‘ growing citations over decades since 1950. Source: Web of Science (2020)
And Hobbes‘ theorization of self-motivated human behavior remains pivotal, as explained by philosopher Hannah Dawson in 2013:
“Contemporary political philosophers from John Rawls to David Gauthier draw heavily on the covenant tradition Hobbes began and most find his theory of human nature difficult to surpass."
After over 300 years, Hobbes‘ diverse contributions across knowledge domains still spur modern innovation — affirming this philosopher’s vast intellect that irrevocably shaped political and scientific thought for the centuries to come.
