Thomas Hobbes
English philosopher (1588–1679) who argued in Leviathan that without a strong sovereign, human life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short', the foundational text of political authoritarianism and realist theory.
Hobbes wrote Leviathan (1651) during the English Civil War, a period of genuine social collapse that confirmed his darkest intuitions. His starting point is the state of nature: without government, humans are in a permanent war of all against all. Life in this condition is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' This is not pessimism but observation, the actual condition of England when royal authority collapsed.
The solution is the social contract: individuals surrender their natural freedom to a sovereign (the Leviathan) in exchange for security. The sovereign's authority is absolute, because any limitation creates the possibility of defection and a return to chaos. The only legitimate check on the sovereign is failure to provide security.
Hobbes's framework underpins realist international relations theory: in the absence of a world sovereign, nations exist in a perpetual state of nature relative to each other, hence the permanent logic of arms races, alliances, and war. The Pax Americana, from this perspective, is the Leviathan of the international order.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Hobbes's state of nature? ＋
Without government, humans exist in a 'war of all against all', no justice, no property, no civilization. Life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.' The social contract is the escape from this condition.
What is the Leviathan? ＋
Hobbes's metaphor for the sovereign state, a vast artificial person created when individuals surrender their freedom in exchange for security. The Leviathan's authority must be absolute because any limitation invites chaos.