Thomas Hobbes (1588 – 1679). English philosopher and one founder of modern political philosophy.

Hobbes was an English philosopher and one of the founders of modern political philosophy. He is known for his book Leviathan (1651), probably one of the most influential works of political philosophy ever written.

Hobbes expounds probably the early formulations of social contract theory where a society or state cannot be secure unless an absolute sovereign. From this, consequently, an individual can hold rights of property against the sovereign. In Leviathan, Hobbes set out his political philosophy regarding the legitimacy of states and governments to avoid the foreign interference and civil war.