Hobbesian
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- For other uses of the term Hobbes, see Hobbes (disambiguation)
Hobbesian, in modern English usage, refers to a situation in which there is unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition among participants.
The term is derived from the name of the 17th century English author Thomas Hobbes.
Although the form of the term Hobbesian, implies that it describes the beliefs of its referent Thomas Hobbes, this is not the case for two reasons:
- While the Leviathan, the book for which Thomas Hobbes is best known, describes a situation of unrestrained, selfish and uncivilized competition, it is only described in order to criticize it.
- Thomas Hobbes, himself, was a timid and bookish in person.
Other uses, popular immediately after Hobbes published, carry connotations of atheism and the belief that "might makes right."
