Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who lived from 1588 to 1679. He attended Oxford University where he studied classics. His profession was that of a tutor, but he also traveled across Europe meeting scientists and studying different forms of government. He was interested in why people allowed themselves to be governed and what the best form of government for England would be. Thomas Hobbes was the first great figure of modern moral philosophy. Hobbes had a pessimistic view of people; he believed that humans were selfish creatures who would do anything to improve their situation. He also believed that people could not be trusted to make decisions for themselves and that a country needed an authority figure to give it direction and leadership. Therefore, Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy – a government that gave all power to a king or queen. He also believed that people should obey their king, even if he is a tyrant. He said that because people were only interested in promoting their own interests, democracy would never work. In fact, he thought democracy was very dangerous. But even though he distrusted democracy, he believed that a diverse group of representatives presenting the problems of the ordinary individual would prevent a king from being unjust and cruel. Hobbes coined the phrase “Voice of the People,” meaning that a person could be chosen to represent a group of like-minded people. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote his famous work “Leviathan” which highlights...