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The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury

Thomas Hobbes

A scanned volume of Hobbes's collected English writings, opening with his reflections on philosophy and reason.

This collected volume of Hobbes's English works preserves his own writing in his own language.

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Dark brown leather book cover with a worn spine on the left, a white library label reading B 663,062 near the top left, and a Digitized by Google and Original from University of Michigan credit in the bottom corners.
Thomas Hobbes, The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury (digitized volume, University of Michigan Library).

About this source

What it is

This is a scanned book volume containing the English works of Thomas Hobbes, digitized from a library copy. The opening text discusses philosophy as a cultivated form of natural reason.

Why it matters

Collected editions like this gather Hobbes's writings together, letting readers trace his ideas about reason, knowledge and philosophy in his own words, as part of the broader history of English political and philosophical thought.

Look closer

  • What does Hobbes compare philosophy to in this opening passage, and why might he choose that comparison?
  • How does a library scan like this differ from the original printed book?
  • What clues on the cover tell you about where this book has been kept over time?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Hobbes on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Engraved title page of Hobbes's Leviathan: a giant crowned figure made of many tiny people holds a sword and crozier over a landscape of hills and a city. Below, a central banner bears the title and author's name, flanked by vignettes of castle, church, crown, mitre, cannon, weapons, battle, and a council.Book

Primary source

Leviathan

Thomas Hobbes · 1651

Engraved frontispiece of the 1642 Paris edition of Hobbes's De Cive. Top panel shows a crowded scene of figures in clouds and a fiery landscape with a winged angel and a group of people. Bottom panel has a central banner titled Elementorum Philosophiae Sectio Tertia De Cive with Latin text, flanked by a crowned female figure holding scales labeled Imperium and a figure with a bow and spear labeled Libertas, with a landscape and the word Religio across the middle.Book

Primary source

De Cive

Thomas Hobbes · 1642

Line engraving portrait of Thomas Hobbes, a man with long wavy hair, a large white collar, and dark robes, shown in an oval frame inscribed with his name in Latin. Below is a Latin inscription and the printer's line 'London, Printed for Will. Crooke'.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Thomas Hobbes, Line Engraving

Book

Primary source

The Elements of Law

Thomas Hobbes · 1640

Engraved title page reading 'The Workes of Homer Engl: by T: Hobbes', with a bust of Homer above, two armoured warriors with spears flanking the title, and an oval portrait of Hobbes below. Imprint reads London, printed for W. Crooke, 1677.Artifact

Secondary source

Title Page of The Workes of Homer, Translated by Thomas Hobbes

1677

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