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Thomas Hobbes was an influential English philosopher, best known for his works on political philosophy and his seminal work, "Leviathan." He lived during the 17th century, a period marked by political upheaval and the English Civil War, which deeply influenced his thinking on human nature, society, and government.

Hobbes was born on April 5, 1588, in Westport, Wiltshire, England. He was educated at Oxford University and later traveled extensively throughout Europe, where he encountered influential thinkers and developed his philosophical ideas.

Hobbes's philosophy is characterized by a materialistic view of the world and a pessimistic view of human nature. He argued that human beings are fundamentally driven by self-preservation and a desire for power, leading to a constant state of conflict and competition, which he famously described as the "state of nature."

According to Hobbes, in the state of nature, life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." In this condition, individuals are in a constant state of war against one another, and there is no security or stability. To escape this state of nature, Hobbes proposed the establishment of a social contract, whereby individuals agree to surrender some of their freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for protection and security.

Hobbes's concept of the social contract laid the foundation for his theory of the state, which he described in detail in "Leviathan," published in 1651. In this work, Hobbes argued for the necessity of a strong, centralized government with absolute authority to maintain order and prevent the chaos of the state of nature. He famously compared the sovereign to a "Leviathan," a metaphorical giant creature with absolute power and authority over its subjects.

Hobbes's political philosophy had a profound impact on subsequent thinkers and has been both celebrated and criticized for its authoritarian implications. His ideas contributed to the development of modern political theory and influenced thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant.

In addition to his political philosophy, Hobbes also made important contributions to other areas of philosophy, including ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He died on December 4, 1679, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most significant figures in the history of Western philosophy.