For War, consisteth not in Battell onely, or the act of fighting; but in a tract of time, wherein the Will to contend by Battell is sufficiently known: and therefore the notion of Time, is to be considered in the nature of Warre; as it is in the nature of Weather.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- War is not just a single battle but a prolonged period of conflict, similar to how weather persists over time.
- In plain terms
- War is a lasting condition, not a one‑off event.
- What can you take from it?
- Consider the long‑term impacts of conflict.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does time change the nature of war?
- What can break a prolonged conflict?
Another view
Focusing on duration may overlook the human cost.
More from Thomas Hobbes
During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against ev…
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