Final answer:
Thomas Hobbes's key ideas revolve around the social contract, state of nature, and absolute monarchy. He believed that to escape the brutish state of nature, individuals agree to a social contract, giving up some freedoms for the security provided by an absolute sovereign. His work influenced the development of modern political theory and the role of government in protecting natural rights through the enforcement of laws.
Step-by-step explanation:
The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes is renowned for his influential ideas presented in Leviathan, written in 1651. A central concept germane to Hobbes's philosophy is the social contract, where individuals consent to establish a government to escape the state of nature, which Hobbes deemed 'nasty, brutish, and short.' This state of constant warfare and fear drives people to surrender some freedoms in exchange for peace and security through an absolute monarchy. Hobbes's view of government depended on the need for absolute authority to maintain order and prevent anarchy. His philosophy laid the groundwork for modern political thought, emphasizing the necessity of a central sovereign for the existence of civil society and the protection of life.
Hobbes described the state of nature as a pre-societal condition where conflict and competition were prevalent due to the natural equality of men resulting in fear, leading to the concept of self-preservation as a fundamental human right. However, this liberty could only be protected under the rule of a powerful government, in his view, an absolute monarchy. The social contract was thus an agreement to forgo some individual rights in favor of collective security and societal structure.
Additionally, Hobbes discussed the natural laws and rights that were present in the state of nature, prescribing that without a sovereign power, these natural laws would be unenforceable, therefore nudging individuals toward accepting an absolute power to preserve peace. This Leviathan, as Hobbes metaphorically described the government, would ensure the enforcement of these limitations for the greater welfare of the people.