Hobbesian en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈhɒb.zi.ən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌhɑˈbi.ʒən/ (General-American)
- /ˌhɒˈbi.ʒən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈhɑb.zi.ən/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Hobbes (a surname) + -ian, referring to the 17th century English author Thomas Hobbes; whose best-known work, Leviathan, describes the state of nature in terms of unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition.
Meanings
-
Of, relating to, or influenced by Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories.
a Hobbesian theory of the state
-
(figuratively) Involving unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition.
Yet the focus on pushing for the best result has also fueled what current and former Uber employees describe as a Hobbesian environment at the company, in which workers are sometimes pitted against one another and where a blind eye is turned to infractions from top performers.
2017 February 22, Mike Isaac, “Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture”, in New York Times:In Hammett's writings, the social is constructed as a vast Hobbesian landscape of grim functionaries and desperate scrabblers […]
1995, Fred Pfeil, White Guys: Studies in Postmodern Domination and Difference, →ISBN, page 150:a cutthroat, Hobbesian environment
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobbian | alternative | lexicographic | |
| more Hobbesian | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| Hobbsian | alternative | lexicographic | |
| most Hobbesian | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Hobbist · Hobbistical · Hobbish
Translations (4)
cs hobbesovský (relating to Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories) · pt hobbesiano (relating to Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories) · fr hobbesien (relating to Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories) · de Hobbessch (relating to Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories)
wikipedia: Thomas Hobbes · wikipedia: Leviathan (Hobbes book)