Leviathan

All men, Hobbes argues, have thoughts that are clean and unclean, holy and blasphemous, serious and vulgar, and these thoughts do not ultimately determine the moral character of the person who has them. Discussing the importance of discretion in judging character, Hobbes uses a simile that compares those who speak openly on vulgar topics to a man covered in dirt. 

An Anatomist, or a Physitian may speak, or write his judgement of unclean things; because it is not to please, but profit: but for another man to write his extravagant, and pleasant fancies of the same, is as if a man, from being tumbled into the dirt, should come and present himselfe before good company. And ’tis the want of Discretion that makes the difference.

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In a discussion of the human passions, chief of which for Hobbes is the desire for power, he uses a simile that compares the thoughts to “Scouts, and Spies”: 

For the Thoughts, are to the Desires, as Scouts, and Spies, to range abroad, and find the way to the things Desired: All Stedinesse of the minds motion, and all quicknesse of the same, proceeding from thence. For as to have no Desire, is to be Dead: so to have weak Passions, is Dulnesse; and to have Passions indifferently for every thing, GIDDINESSE, and Distraction; and to have stronger, and more vehement Passions for any thing, than is ordinarily seen in others, is that which men call MADNESSE.

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Arguing that humans can never have certain knowledge about the nature or intentions of God, Hobbes uses a simile that compares human ignorance to blindness. 

For as a man that is born blind, hearing men talk of warming themselves by the fire, and being brought to warm himself by the same, may easily conceive, and assure himselfe, there is somewhat there, which men call Fire, and is the cause of the heat he feeles; but cannot imagine what it is like; nor have an Idea of it in his mind, such as they have that see it: so also, by the visible things of this world, and their admirable order, a man may conceive there is a cause of them, which men call God; and yet not have an Idea, or Image of him in his mind.

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Arguing for the supremacy over the sovereign over any citizen of a state, including the wealthy, Hobbes uses a metaphor that compares a King to a fountain from which “Honour” flows. 

And as the Power, so also the Honour of the Soveraign, ought to be greater, than that of any, or all the Subjects. For in the Soveraignty is the fountain of Honour. The dignities of Lord, Earle, Duke, and Prince are his Creatures. As in the presence of the Master, the Servants are equall, and without any honour at all; So are the Subjects, in the presence of the Soveraign. And though they shine some more, some lesse, when they are out of his sight; yet in his presence, they shine no more than the Starres in presence of the Sun.

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Outlining the various diseases and weaknesses which might afflict a “body politic” or commonwealth, Hobbes compares corporations and other figures who might rival a King in power to worms in a striking simile: 

As also the great number of Corporations; which are as it were many lesser Common-wealths in the bowels of a greater, like wormes in the entrayles of a naturall man. To which may be added, the Liberty of disputing against Soveraign Power by pretenders to Politicall Prudence; which though bred for the most part in the Lees of the people; yet animated by False Doctrines, are perpetually medling with the Fundamentall Lawes, to the molestation of the Common-wealth; like the little Wormes, which Physicians call Ascarides.

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Hobbes engages in pointed satire while critiquing those who read the words of the Bible in an overly literal fashion. Discussing a line in the Book of Genesis (“God inspired into man the breath of life,”) Hobbes writes:

On the signification of the word Spirit, dependeth that of the word INSPIRATION; which must either be taken properly; and then it is nothing but the blowing into a man some thin and subtile aire, or wind, in such manner as a man filleth a bladder with his breath; or if Spirits be not corporeall, but have their existence only in the fancy, it is nothing but the blowing in of a Phantasme; which is improper to say, and impossible; for Phantasmes are not, but only seem to be somewhat.

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