Context: Writing during the English Civil War, Hobbes' philosophy is rooted in a profound sense of insecurity and chaos.
The_contract: To escape this perpetual fear, individuals enter a social contract where they irrevocably transfer all their rights and power to a single sovereign (The Leviathan).
State_of_nature: Hobbes describes the state of nature as a 'war of all against all' (bellum omnium contra omnes). In the absence of a common power, human nature—driven by competition, diffidence, and glory—leads to a life that is 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.'
Ethical_implication: Priority of Order over Liberty; emphasis on the survival instinct and the necessity of a strong central authority.
Sovereignty_and_ethics: For Hobbes, the primary ethical imperative is 'Security.' The Sovereign's power must be absolute and indivisible to prevent a relapse into anarchy. Obedience is a moral duty because the alternative (chaos) is the greatest possible evil. There is no right to revolt, as the Sovereign is not a party to the contract but its beneficiary.