PHILOSOPHER

Thomas Hobbes

1588 - 1679

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Thomas Hobbes ( HOBZ; 5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) was an English philosopher, best known for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. In his early life, overshadowed by his father's departure following a fight, he was taken under the care of his wealthy uncle. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Thomas Hobbes has received more than 6,831,168 page views. His biography is available in 108 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 104 in 2019). Thomas Hobbes is the 28th most popular philosopher (down from 20th in 2019), the 23rd most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 15th in 2019) and the 3rd most popular British Philosopher.

Thomas Hobbes is most famous for his political philosophy, which is a form of social contract theory. Hobbes believed that the natural state of humanity is one of war, and that without a strong government to enforce the peace, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

Memorability Metrics

  • 6.8M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 84.94

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 108

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 12.29

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.34

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among PHILOSOPHERS

Among philosophers, Thomas Hobbes ranks 28 out of 1,267. Before him are Democritus, Epicurus, Seneca the Younger, Friedrich Engels, Averroes, and Auguste Comte. After him are Al-Ghazali, Erasmus, Diogenes, Parmenides, Baruch Spinoza, and Anaximander.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1588, Thomas Hobbes ranks 1. After him are Marin Mersenne, Constance of Austria, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Henri, Prince of Condé, Marina Mniszech, Isaac Beeckman, Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet, Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg, Robert Filmer, Jan Janssonius, and Pierre Séguier. Among people deceased in 1679, Thomas Hobbes ranks 1. After him are Jan Steen, Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria, Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Joost van den Vondel, John of Austria the Younger, John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen, Marie de Rohan, Willem van Aelst, Anne Geneviève de Bourbon, Jean François Paul de Gondi, and Francesco Barberini.

Others Born in 1588

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Others Deceased in 1679

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In United Kingdom

Among people born in United Kingdom, Thomas Hobbes ranks 23 out of 8,785. Before him are Queen Victoria (1819), Stephen Hawking (1942), Richard I of England (1157), Michael Faraday (1791), Henry VIII of England (1491), and Agatha Christie (1890). After him are Alan Turing (1912), Mary II of England (1662), Mick Jagger (1943), Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (1947), Charles Dickens (1812), and Margaret Thatcher (1925).

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Among PHILOSOPHERS In United Kingdom

Among philosophers born in United Kingdom, Thomas Hobbes ranks 3. Before him are Francis Bacon (1561), and John Locke (1632). After him are David Hume (1711), Thomas More (1478), Herbert Spencer (1820), Jeremy Bentham (1748), Roger Bacon (1220), William of Ockham (1285), John Venn (1834), Joseph Priestley (1733), and Duns Scotus (1265).

British born Philosophers

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