Thomas Hobbes was an influential 17th century English political philosopher known for his work Leviathan. He argued that without a central authority, human nature leads people into a state of constant conflict and competition for power. To escape this dangerous state of nature, Hobbes claimed individuals would agree through a social contract to give up personal freedoms and submit to an absolute sovereign, whether an individual or parliament, to maintain order and security.

1. Thomas Hobbes

2. -1588-1679 -Most original political philosopher of the 17 th Century -English, but well traveled -Sided with kings during English Civil Wars

3. Leviathan

4. -Human Nature = people have a desire for power and are in constant conflict because of it. People are self-centered, cruel, greedy, and selfish SOCIAL CONTRACT -In order to escape this terrible state of nature, humans entered into an agreement or “contract” (philosophically) - Every person, for sake of peace and self-defense, agrees to set aside personal rights to all things and to be content with equal liberty. -Believed only an absolute central authority could achieve this

5. Ideal Government: 1. Tyranny always better than anarchy 2. Absolute and unlimited power 3. No individual protest or dissent 4. Could be in the form of individual or parliament 5. Once governing force granted authority – no arguments or appeal