437 years ago today, on April 5, 1588 (March 11, 1588 in the lunar calendar), British politician and philosopher Thomas Hobbes was born. Thomas Hobbes (April 5, 1588-December 4, 1679) was a famous British political philosopher and considered to be one of the founders of liberalism. He has written many books, the most famous masterpiece of which is Leviathan in 1651. Hobbes also wrote many books on political philosophy and other topics. He believed that human nature was prone to self-interested cooperation. He was contemporaries of Francis Bacon and Descartes, and wrote responses to Descartes's Meditations. "Leviathan" and "Leviathan" were written during the English Civil War. In this book Hobbes states his views on the foundations of society and the legitimacy of government. In the natural state of humans, some people may be stronger or smarter than others, but no one will be strong or smart enough to be afraid of death under violence. When threatened with death, a person in a state of nature must do everything in his power to protect himself. Hobbes believed that protecting himself from violent death was the highest human necessity, and that power came from necessity. In the state of nature, everyone needs everything in the world, and therefore has power over everything. But everything in the world is insufficient, so there is an ongoing, power-based "war of everyone on everyone." Life in its natural state is "lonely, poor, annoying, rough and short"(xiii). But war is not what is best for people. Hobbes believes that people will want to end wars through self-interest and material desires-"the enthusiasm that inclines people towards peace is actually the fear of death, the desire for what is necessary for a comfortable life and the eager desire to acquire them"(xiii,14). Hobbes believed that for a society to be peaceful, there must be a social contract. Society is a group of people under an authority, and each individual entrusts just the right natural power to this authority to maintain internal peace and provide external defense. This sovereignty, whether monarchy, aristocracy or democracy (Hobbes preferred monarchy), must be a Leviathan, an absolute authority. For Hobbes, the law was about ensuring that contracts were enforced. The Leviathan state has unlimited authority in preventing human-to-person attacks and maintaining the unity of the country. As for other aspects, the country does not care at all. As long as a person does not harm others, national sovereignty will not interfere with him. (However, there is no higher power over national sovereignty that prevents the state from breaking this rule.) National sovereignty must also maintain internal equality. In short, Hobbes's political principle was "do not harm."