(1588–1679), English philosopher. Hobbes was a materialist, claiming that there was no more to the mind than the physical motions discovered by science, and he believed that human action was motivated entirely by selfish concerns, notably fear of death. In Leviathan (1651) he argued that absolute monarchy was the most rational, hence desirable, form of government.
Definition of Hobbes, Thomas in US English:
Hobbes, Thomas
proper nounhäbz
(1588–1679), English philosopher. He believed that human action was motivated entirely by selfish concerns, notably fear of death. He is best known for his treatise Leviathan, or the Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil (1651).