Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who is best known for his work on political philosophy.Hobbes’ ideas were controversial when he first put them forward and have remained so ever since. He has been accused of promoting selfishness, but he argued that individual self-interest leads to cooperation and mutual benefit.
In fact, Hobbes was born at Westport, about a mile from Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, England. His mother’s name was Hamelin (or Hameline), after whom he was named. His father’s name was Robert Hobbes, and his ancestry has been traced back to a family of the same name in Northamptonshire. The first known member of the family was an Andrew Hobbes, who lived in the reign of King Edward II (1312-1327).
Hobbes was educated at Magdalen College School and later at Oxford University. When he returned to England in 1608 he entered the service of Charles Cavendish, brother of William Cavendish and son of Sir Henry Cavendish. He accompanied his master to France where Charles became keeper of the king’s wardrobe; but after a few months he returned home without leave and resumed his studies at Oxford. In 1610 he became tutor to Lord Lisle and remained with him until 1628 when Lisle died. In 1629 Hobbes published his first book on philosophy entitled De corpore (On Body).
