Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who is considered one of the founders of modern political thought. His most famous work, Leviathan, argued that humans are naturally selfish and that the only way to avoid perpetual conflict is to establish a strong central government.
Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588 in Malmesbury, England. He received his education at Oxford University and eventually became a tutor for William Cavendish, 2nd Earl of Devonshire. While tutoring for Devonshire, Hobbes wrote several philosophical works including The Elements of Law Natural and Politic (1640) and De Corpore Politico: The Elements of Law Natural and Politic (1655).
Philosopher began writing his most famous work Leviathan in 1650 but did not finish until after he retired from politics in 1668. In Leviathan, Hobbes argues against the idea that humans are equal by nature. Instead, he says humans are selfish creatures who must give up their rights for the sake of order and peace. This argument influenced many later philosophers such as Thomas Jefferson and John Locke who both believed in limited government power over individuals’ lives.
Although Hobbes’s ideas were not popular at the time, but they influenced many later thinkers including John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx.
