Hobbesian

English Alternative forms en Hobbian Hobbsian Etymology From en Hobbes ian a surname, referring to the 17th century English author Thomas Hobbes; whose best-known work, Leviathan (Hobbes book) Leviathan, describes the state of nature in terms of unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition. Pronunciation en /ˈhɒb.zi.ən/ /ˌhɒˈbi.ʒən/ RP en /ˈhɑb.zi.ən/ /ˌhɑˈbi.ʒən/ GA Adjective en philosophy Of, relating to, or influenced by Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories. en Hobbist Hobbistical Hobbish archaic en a Hobbesian theory of the state en figuratively Involving unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition. en a cutthroat, Hobbesian environment en 1995 Fred Pfeil White Guys: Studies in Postmodern Domination and Difference 9781859840320 150 In Hammett's writings, the social is constructed as a vast Hobbesian landscape of grim functionaries and desperate scrabblers en 2017-02-22 Mike Isaac Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/technology/uber-workplace-culture.html New York Times Yet the focus on pushing for the best result has also fueled what current and former Uber employees describe as a Hobbesian environment at the company, in which workers are sometimes pitted against one another and where a blind eye is turned to infractions from top performers. https://web.archive.org/web/20260204043713/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/technology/uber-workplace-culture.html 4 February 2026 Derived terms en Hobbesianism Translations relating to Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories Czech: cs hobbesovský French: fr hobbesien German: de Hobbessch Portuguese: pt hobbesiano Noun en philosophy A follower of the theories of Thomas Hobbes. en Hobbist en 2019 François Bonnet The Upper Limit: How Low-Wage Work Defines Punishment and Welfare 9780520973305 120 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sCCeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA120 Hobbesians purport to describe social order as it is: a constant, iron-fisted effort to crush enemies and to incapacitate criminals. en eponyms