De Homine

The work De Homine (Concerning Man) is part of a trilogy by the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, alongside De Corpore (Concerning Body) and De Cive (Concerning the Citizen). Published in 1658, De Homine aimed to systematically arrange psychological and political concepts based on principles of motion and matter, reflecting Hobbes's view of science as tracing phenomena to the behavior of matter.12

Hobbes believed human beings are naturally driven by self-preservation and a desire for pleasure, leading to competition and potential conflict. He argued that political order is necessary to prevent a "war of all against all," where life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". De Homine contributes to this by exploring human nature as the foundation for his political philosophy, which emphasizes the need for a strong sovereign to ensure peace and security through a social contract.3425