Final answer:
Thomas Hobbes posited that in a civil state, individuals follow covenants due to the presence of an authoritative Leviathan, while in the state of nature there is no such enforcement of agreements, leading to a life that is inherently insecure and conflict-ridden. To avoid this chaos, people enter into a social contract and agree to a sovereign power that upholds the laws of nature and provides order and security.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Hobbes argued that in a civil state, where a common power exists, people are obligated to follow covenants because the Leviathan (governmental authority) enforces these agreements. In the state of nature, a hypothetical situation without political authority, covenants are considered void because there is no power to enforce them. In this condition, people naturally seek to maximize their own well-being, leading to a state of perpetual war where life is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short' due to the constant competition for resources. To escape this state of war, people consent to give up some freedoms and create a social contract, authorizing a sovereign power that can uphold the laws of nature and prevent the state of war through a symmetrical fear of punishment. This sovereign, according to Hobbes, would have absolute power to ensure peace and stability within the society by enforcing the laws of nature.