"Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes is a philosophical treatise published in 1651. Written during the English Civil War, it explores the structure of society and legitimate government through social contract theory. Hobbes argues that humanity's natural state is a brutal "war of all against all," driven by individual appetites and the fear of violent death. Only a strong, absolute sovereign can prevent civil war and chaos by uniting both secular and spiritual power. This influential work presents a materialistic view of human nature and political order.