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 around Europe to meet scientists and study different forms of government. He became interested in why people allowed themselves to be governed and what would be the best form of government for England. 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 own position. He also thought that people could not be trusted to make decisions on their own and that a country needed an authoritarian figure to provide direction and leadership. Therefore, Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy, a government that vested all power in a king or queen. He also thought that people should obey their king, even if he is a tyrant. He said that since people are only interested in promoting their own personal interests, democracy will 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 common person would prevent a king from being unjust and cruel. Hobbes coined the phrase “Voice of the People,” meaning that one person could be chosen to represent a group with similar opinions. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes wrote his famous work, "Leviathan", which put in...