The praise of ancient authors proceeds not from the reverence of the dead, but from the competition and mutual envy of the living.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hobbes says we praise old authors because living ones compete with them.
- In plain terms
- We like old writers because it helps us compare modern ones.
- What can you take from it?
- Praise for old authors is about living competition.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we value old authors?
- Is praise always objective?
Another view
Not all praise of the past is competitive.
More from Thomas Hobbes
And if a man consider the original of this great ecclesiastical dominion, he will easily perceive, that the Papacy, is no other than the ghost of the deceased …
Permalink to quote #42 Such truth as opposeth no man's profit nor pleasure is to all men welcome.
Permalink to quote #44 Leisure is the mother of philosophy.
Permalink to quote #41
Related quotes
Fra tutti il primo Arnaldo Daniello Gran maestro d'amor; ch'a la sua terra Ancor fa onor col suo dir strano e bello.
Arnaut DanielArnaut Daniel quote #5 Chaucer was a class traitor Shakespeare hated the mob Donne sold out a bit later Sidney was a nob.
Terry EagletonTerry Eagleton quote #9 I look upon Upton Sinclair as one of the greatest novelists in the world, the Zola of America.
Upton SinclairUpton Sinclair quote #34