Thomas Hobbes (April 5, 1588–December 4, 1679) was an English philosopher and is widely considered to be the founding father of modern political philosophy. His most famous works include Leviathan (English version 1651, Latin version 1668), De Corpore (1655), De Homine (1658) and De Cive (1642).

In 1978, at the annual meeting of the American Philosophical Associated (APA) Eastern Division, a group of Hobbes scholars recognized that by creating an organization they could request space at APA meetings and appear in the program. The group included Bertram Morris (UC, Boulder), Richard Popkin (Washington University, St. Louis), William Sacksteder (UC, Boulder), Herbert Schneider, (Claremont Graduate School), and Bernard Baumrin (Graduate Center, CUNY).