Thomas Hobbes was an important philosopher of the Enlightenment because he advocated for the separation of church and state and for individual rights.
Hobbes was born in Malmesbury, England in 1588, to a poor family. He studied at Oxford University, where he learned about ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. When he was older, Hobbes became a tutor for Charles Cavendish, who later became the Earl of Devonshire.
In 1640, Hobbes published his first major book on political philosophy: “Leviathan.” The book describes what it means to live in a state of nature — or without government — and how humans created societies to avoid this condition. It also covers the idea of social contracts and how they affect our rights today.
Philosopher believed that individuals have certain natural rights that cannot be taken away by any government or leader — including life, liberty and property (more specifically safety). He felt that if these rights were not respected by governments then they would need to be protected by other people whose job it was to enforce those rights.
Hobbes was an important philosopher of the Enlightenment because he advocated for the separation of church and state and for individual rights. His ideas were influenced by John Locke’s ideas on government, which led him to believe that power should be vested in one person rather than in multiple people or groups like Parliament or the monarchy.
