The Elements of Law, Natural and Politic

Hobbes was the son of a forceful vicar who eventually abandoned his son after a quarrel in front of a church, leaving this fine young man in the care of his uncle, a man of solid financial means. Hobbes's excellence in scholarship would outshine his rough beginning, earning him a chance to tutor Charles II in mathematics. It also supplied him with enough wit to translate the Iliad and Odyssey. Called the Father of Materialism by some, he revolutionized 17th century ideas with his impressive insights in political science and human nature. These find their best expression in his most notable work, Leviathan. It was, however, these same anticlerical and radical views that made him many enemies at Oxford. Although his presence in England generally sparked controversy, he was a cause for celebration and honor in foreign lands.