"For as there were Plants of Corn and Wine in small quantity Dispersed in the Fields and Woods, before men knew their vertue, or made use of them for their nourishment, or planted them apart in Fields,and also there have been divers true, generall, and profitable Speculations from the beginning; as being the naturall plants of humane Reason: But they were at first but few in number; men lived upon grosse Experience; there was no Method; that is to say, no Sowing, nor Planting of Knowledge by it self, apart from the Weeds, and common Plants of Errour and Conjecture: And the cause of it being the want of leasure from procuring the necessities of life, and defending themselves against their neighbours, it was impossible, till the erecting of great Common-wealths, it should be otherwise. Leisure is the mother of Philosophy; and Common-wealth, the mother of Peace, and Leisure: Where first were great and flourishing Cities, there was first the study of Philosophy."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
The Fourth Part, Chapter 46, p. 368
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Thomas Hobbes
1588 – 1679
englischer Mathematiker, Staatstheoretiker und Philosoph
134 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Thomas Hobbes →
Related Quotes
"I know not how the world will receive it, nor how it may reflect on those that shall seem to favor it. For in a way b…"
"The passion of laughter is nothing else but a sudden glory arising from sudden conception of some eminency in ourselv…"
"Now I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark."
"For he that hath strength enough to protect all, wants not sufficiency to oppresse all."
"And this Feare of things invisible, is the naturall Seed of that, which every one in himself calleth Religion; and in…"
"To understand this for sense it is not required that a man should be a geometrician or a logician, but that he should…"
"...in statu naturae Mensuram juris esse Utilitatem."
"Give an inch, he'll take an ell."
"No man is bound by the words themselves, either to kill himselfe, or any other man."
"He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Mankind; which thoug…"