Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury Society

Well, well! Thomas Hobbes is an answer on Pointless this evening.
Worth 27 points.

THE THOMAS HOBBES ANNUAL SUPPER

21st NOVEMBER 2025, Malmesbury Town Hall

Tickets are on sale for our popular evening dinner event ending with an after dinner talk by Dr. John McCormack:
Thomas Hobbes - The Executive in the Boardroom.

Click for details and tickets.
www.thomashobbesofmalmesbury.org

THE THOMAS HOBBES ANNUAL SUPPER

21st NOVEMBER 2025, Malmesbury Town Hall

Tickets are on sale for our popular evening dinner event ending with an after dinner talk by Dr. John McCormack:
Thomas Hobbes - The Executive in the Boardroom.

Click for details and tickets.
www.thomashobbesofmalmesbury.org

Thomas Hobbes, 1640s.

By William Dobson (bapt. 4 Mar 1611, buried #otd 28 Oct 1646)

The Royal Society

Bust of Thucydides.

Nice mention in @historytoday.com this month, that Thomas Hobbes was the first to properly translate The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides into English.
#polymath

3 Sept 1668: Samuel Pepys notes #otd that Thomas Hobbes' 'Leviathan' is selling for three or four times the original price of 8 shillings (NPG)

#HotBook

This is the grave of Thomas Hobbes. It took me two trips to England and a half dozen mini adventures to find it.

This is what Hobbes scholars do.

Eventually, I learned that it was INSIDE the church, not in the graveyard…

1/2

New #ebook at Project Gutenberg: The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 05 (of 11) by Thomas Hobbes https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76650

Yes indeed. This is what we did in the spring this year. Watch this space for next year plans.

www.thomashobbesofmalmesbury.org/recent-events

In Our Time - Civility: talking with those who disagree with you - BBC Sounds On the value of keeping conversations going with opponents, from the Reformation onwards

Interesting discussion of Civility in this week’s episode of In Our Time, including thoughts on the contribution of Thomas Hobbes from @tmbejan.bsky.social.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Seems unlikely as he was born the year after she died…

The Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury display in the Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury.
#skystorians #history #philsky #philosophy #17thC

John Aubrey and Sir James Long both wrote of a longstanding grudges in Malmesbury based on accusations of witchcraft and leading to instances of witch persecutions in the mid 1600s.
It is likely that this atmosphere would have existed in the time when Thomas Hobbes was growing up in the town

We would love to be added please..!

Frontage of Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire.

On This Day, 21st May 1633, Thomas Hobbes was present along with King Charles I at a performance of Ben Jonson's play 'Loves Welcome' at Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire. One character in the play was based on Hobbes, and he may even have taken part in the performance.
#OTD #17thC #drama

Aldhelm and his Legacy 675- 2025 - a talk by Tony McAleavy Come and see Tony McAleavy give a talk about the history of St Aldhlem! Tickets are free but donations for the Roof fund are very welcome

There is no admission charge, but tickets are required, available here…

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aldhelm-an...

Contributions to the Abbey Roof fund welcome.
#Malmesbury #MalmesburyAbbey

Thomas Hobbes's childhood in Malmesbury was characterised by several instances of violence and dispute between the Manor and the Borough.
This would have helped to form his ideas that problems of conflict arise if the source of authority is ambiguous.
#politics #philosophy

Meanwhile, the Borough was led by the Alderman and Burgesses, with authority handed down from the time of King Athelstan.
During the childhood of Thomas Hobbes, his Great Uncle, Edmund Hobbes, was a leading member of the Burgess group.

View of Abbey House and Gardens in Malmesbury.

Disputed supremacy of local authority between the Manor of Malmesbury and the Borough.

The Manor consisted of the former lands of the dissolved Malmesbury Abbey, under the control of John Stumpe of Abbey House.
#16thC #17thC #History

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man, the same is consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such condition, there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Probably the most well-known quote from Thomas Hobbes:

"the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

is probably also the most misapplied and misinterpreted. We should read all of Ch 13 of Leviathan for the full context, or if not, at least read the full paragraph.
#philsky

Photograph of Malmesbury looking along Burnivale towards the bell tower.

On This Day, 22nd April 1606, the death of Edmond Hobbes, burgess of Malmesbury and great uncle of the Philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
#OTD #History #Philsky #Skystorians

Young Thomas would have been aware of these anarchic incidents among the upper classes around the town where he was growing up. In later life he would reflect on why wealthy people were subject to discontent and prone to acts of rebellion and violence.
#History #Philosophy #skystorians #philsky

.. And Henry Knyvett was on very bad terms with another neighbour, Henry Poole of Kemble.

The most spectacular vendetta in the Malmesbury area was between the Long family of Draycot House and the Danvers family of Dauntsey Park, which culminated in the murder of Henry Long.

Feuding between local gentry families.

Henry Knyvett of Charlton Park and Richard Moody of Garsdon Manor were engaged in a feud for decades. Knyvett was nearly killed by Moody in a duel.
Meanwhile, the Moodys were in a long running dispute with the Ivys of Hullavington...

Thomas Hobbes grew up in Malmesbury around the end of the 16th Century, a time of feuding between local gentry families, disputed supremacy of local authority between the Manor of Malmesbury and the Borough, accusations of witchcraft, famine and revolts of the poor commoners.
#Skystorians #Philsky

Engraved frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes' 'Leviathan', 1651

#OnThisDay 15 April 1651 was the first publication of Thomas Hobbes' book ‘Leviathan’ - an influential study on the nature of government, heavily influenced by the events of the #EnglishCivilWar. #17thCentury #OTD

Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war, where every man is enemy to every man, the same is consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal. In such condition, there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Probably the most well-known quote from Thomas Hobbes:

"the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

is probably also the most misapplied and misinterpreted. We should read all of Ch 13 of Leviathan for the full context, or if not, at least read the full paragraph.
#philsky

I'm holding a first 'head' edition of Hobbes' Leviathan, 1651. In Malmesbury, at the Thomas Hobbes Festival last weekend. Life can be sweet.

We hope you enjoyed your stay in Malmesbury Vittorio. Thank you for your wonderful talk on Saturday evening!

In Malmesbury, UK, I found the perfect pizza. Four books in the 'Leviathan ', four sections in the pizza.