And from this diffidence of one another,there is no way for any man to secure himself so reasonable as anticipation;that is,by force,or wiles,to master the persons of all men he can so long till he see no other power great enough to endanger him:and this is no more than his own conservation requireth,and is generally allowed.Also,because there be some that,taking pleasure in contemplating their own power in the acts of conquest,which they pursue farther than their security requires,if others,that otherwise would be glad to be at ease within modest bounds,should not by invasion increase their power,they would not be able,long time,by standing only on their defence,to subsist.And by consequence,such augmentation of dominion over men being necessary to a man's conservation,it ought to be allowed him.
Again,men have no pleasure (but on the contrary a great deal of grief)in keeping company where there is no power able to overawe them all.For every man looketh that his companion should value him at the same rate he sets upon himself,and upon all signs of contempt or undervaluing naturally endeavours,as far as he dares (which amongst them that have no common power to keep them in quiet is far enough to make them destroy each other),to extort a greater value from his contemners,by damage;and from others,by the example.
So that in the nature of man,we find three principal causes of quarrel.First,competition;secondly,diffidence;thirdly,glory.
The first maketh men invade for gain;the second,for safety;and the third,for reputation.The first use violence,to make themselves masters of other men's persons,wives,children,and cattle;the second,to defend them;the third,for trifles,as a word,a smile,a different opinion,and any other sign of undervalue,either direct in their persons or by reflection in their kindred,their friends,their nation,their profession,or their name.
Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe,they are in that condition which is called war;and such a war as is of every man against every man.For war consisteth not in battle only,or the act of fighting,but in a tract of time,wherein the will to contend by battle is sufficiently known:and therefore the notion of time is to be considered in the nature of war,as it is in the nature of weather.For as the nature of foul weather lieth not in a shower or two of rain,but in an inclination thereto of many days together:so the nature of war consisteth not in actual fighting,but in the known disposition thereto during all the time there is no assurance to the contrary.All other time is peace.
Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of war,where every man is enemy to every man,the same consequent to the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withal.In such condition there is no place for industry,because the fruit thereof is uncertain:and consequently no culture of the earth;no navigation,nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea;no commodious building;no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force;no knowledge of the face of the earth;no account of time;no arts;no letters;no society;and which is worst of all,continual fear,and danger of violent death;and the life of man,solitary,poor,nasty,brutish,and short.