Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who is credited with helping to found modern political philosophy. His most famous work, “Leviathan,” argued that people are naturally selfish and that government is necessary to protect them from each other.
Philosopher lived through the English Civil War, which was a conflict between supporters of King Charles I and those who wanted Parliament to have more power. The conflict ended in 1649 with Charles being executed. Hobbes fled England for France, where he spent most of his life until he returned at age 84 to live out his final years back in England.
Hobbes’ major contribution was in analyzing human nature and human interactions in terms of self-interest and power struggles — something later thinkers such as Francis Fukuyama would build on when looking at history, politics and economics.
He believed that humans are rational beings, but also that we’re capable of evil behavior if we don’t have strong leaders or rulers making rules for us all to follow. In other words: If we don’t have rules governing our behavior, then there will be chaos because people will do whatever they want without regard for anyone else’s rights or needs (not good).
In his book “Leviathan,” Hobbes wrote: “Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where every man is Enemy unto every man; the same is consequent unto the time wherein men live without other security than what their own strength and their own invention shall furnish them withall.”
