Thomas Hobbes: podcast appearances and interviews

Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher and political theorist known primarily for his 1651 book Leviathan, in which he presented an influential formulation of social contract theory. Recognized as one of the founders of modern political philosophy, Hobbes's work addressed the nature of human society and governance. His ideas were shaped by his early life, including his upbringing after his father's departure and his education at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. As a tutor to the Cavendish family, he engaged with the intellectual circles of Europe and met notable figures such as Galileo, which contributed to his broad intellectual development.

Hobbes's experiences during the English Civil War, a period marked by conflict and societal upheaval, greatly influenced his advocacy for an absolute sovereign to prevent human conflict and societal breakdown. In Leviathan, he discussed concepts such as the state of nature, described as a