Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher who believed that humans were selfish and that government was necessary to keep people in check. He was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England on April 5, 1588, and died March 4, 1679.
Philosopher is best known for his book Leviathan which was published in 1651. It is considered one of the most influential texts in Western civilization because it explains how a civil society should be governed.
Hobbes was the son of a clergyman and grew up in a religious household, but he did not believe in organized religion himself. In fact, he thought that it would be better for everyone if there were no religion at all!
In Hobbes’ view, the natural state of man is one of conflict, which can only be resolved by submitting to a powerful leader. Without such submission, men would act solely out of self-interest, without regard for others’ interests or rights. The result would be constant war and chaos.
He believed that humans were selfish animals and that this would lead them to engage in war against each other unless they were restrained by some form of government with absolute power over its citizens. Hobbes believed that human nature was inherently evil, but he also believed in the social contract theory which states that people can form a contract with one another where they agree to be governed by an external power in order to protect themselves from each other.
