Thomas Hobbes' concept of the state of nature as a state of war is central to his political philosophy, particularly as articulated in his seminal work, Leviathan (1651). Hobbes describes the state of nature as a hypothetical condition in which there is no government, no laws, and no overarching authority to impose order. In this state, individuals are equal in their capacities but are driven by self-interest and the instinct for self-preservation.
Hobbes argued that without a common power to keep them in check, individuals would inevitably be in conflict with one another, as they would be competing for scarce resources, such as food, shelter, and safety. This competition, coupled with a lack of trust, leads to a state of constant fear and insecurity—what Hobbes famously characterized as a "war of all against all" (bellum omnium contra omnes).
In such a state, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," because there would be no cooperation, no industry, no culture, and no justice—only the constant threat of violence. To escape this grim reality, Hobbes argued that individuals would rationally agree to surrender their natural freedoms and submit to the authority of a sovereign power (the Leviathan) in exchange for security and order. This social contract, in Hobbes' view, is the foundation of civil society and the legitimate authority of the state.
Hobbes' ideas have been foundational in the development of social contract theory and have deeply influenced modern political thought, particularly regarding the justification of government authority and the nature of human behavior in the absence of structured society.