Final answer:
Thomas Hobbes viewed the covenant, or social contract, as essential for transitioning from the state of nature to a civil society, enabling the establishment of a sovereign authority to enforce laws and maintain order. The goal of creating such a society was to ensure peace and security, justifying the imposition of civil rules to serve the common interest.
Step-by-step explanation:
For Thomas Hobbes, the role of a covenant in the transition from the state of nature to civil society is foundational. Hobbes conceptualized a pre-political state where human life was characterized by a perpetual war of all against all. In his seminal work Leviathan, he argues that to escape this brutish existence, individuals enter into a social contract, a covenant, to establish a sovereign authority that can enforce peace and order.
The goal of establishing a peaceful, civil society, according to Hobbes, is to protect individuals from the anarchic state of nature. The covenant allows individuals to authorize a Leviathan, a powerful government or monarch, to impose a symmetrical fear of punishment to uphold laws and maintain social cohesion. This transition is necessary as the laws of nature, which promote peace and safety, require an authority for their enforcement; otherwise, following these laws would leave individuals vulnerable to those who opt not to follow them.
The ultimate goal for Hobbes in advocating for a social contract and the formation of civil society was to justify the imposition of rules rationally and demonstrate that a government, in its ideal form, serves the interest of the people and upholds the general will. This results in stability and social order, thereby achieving the desired peace and safety for all in civil society.