so calving and hobbs are named after thomas hobbs and john calvin?
🧠 Yes, exactly! The comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson features characters named after two heavyweight thinkers:
- Calvin is named after John Calvin, the 16th-century Protestant theologian known for his doctrine of predestination and his influence on Calvinism.
- Hobbes is named after Thomas Hobbes, the 17th-century political philosopher famous for Leviathan and his view that humans are naturally selfish and need strong government to maintain order.
Watterson chose these names deliberately, not just for flair but to subtly reflect philosophical contrasts. Calvin, the boy, is imaginative and chaotic—often questioning fate and morality—while Hobbes, the tiger, is calm, rational, and often the voice of reason. Their dynamic mirrors the tension between free will and order, imagination and structure.
Pretty clever for a comic strip, right?