# Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes was an English political philosopher whose Leviathan (1651) articulated a social contract theory grounded in his pessimistic view of human nature: that life in the "state of nature" would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." He argued that rational individuals would surrender freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for security and order, making him the founder of social contract theory and a key precursor to modern political science. His materialist philosophy and secular analysis of political power placed him in frequent conflict with Church authorities.

## Quick Facts

- **Born:** April 5, 1588
- **Birthplace:** Westport, England
- **Nationality:** British
- **Occupation:** political scientist
- **Category:** Scholars & Educators
- **Also Known As:** Father of Political Philosophy

## Overview

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher and political theorist, best known for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he expounds an influential formulation of social contract theory. He is considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy.

## Wikipedia Context

This profile section is complemented from Wikipedia for Thomas Hobbes. English philosopher and political theorist (1588–1679)

## Sources

Primary source page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes

## Timeline

### 1588 — Birth
Birth of Thomas Hobbes.

### 2026 — Wikipedia Complement
Profile metadata and editorial blocks were complemented using Wikipedia and Wikidata references.

### 2026 — Profile Update
Structured profile components were updated to improve completeness.

## Quotes

> "Profile note: Thomas Hobbes was complemented using Wikipedia reference material."
> — Thomas Hobbes, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Editorial note: This block stores profile notes and source context, not attributed quotations."
> — Thomas Hobbes, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Source note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hobbes"
> — Thomas Hobbes, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

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Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/thomas-hobbes