The English philosopher whose Leviathan (1651) argued that human beings in their natural condition face a war of all against all, and that the only escape is an absolute sovereign — founding modern political theory, the social contract tradition, and the realist account of international relations.
Hobbes wrote Leviathan during the English Civil War, having watched his country tear itself apart over religion and sovereignty. His answer was radical: give up everything to a sovereign who will keep the peace. It was a dark vision — and it became the foundation of modern political philosophy.