Leviathan - Book by Thomas Hobbes

Leviathan is a foundational work of political philosophy written by Thomas Hobbes in 1651. In this text, Hobbes argues for the necessity of a powerful, centralized authority to maintain peace and prevent chaos. He famously describes life without government as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes’ concept of the social contract suggests that individuals surrender some of their freedoms in exchange for security and order provided by a sovereign ruler.