The Role of Individualism in Hobbes’ Theory of Absolutism: Human Nature, the State, and Sovereign Power AbstractThomas Hobbes’ political theory, most famously articulated in Leviathan (1651), is often read as a robust defense of absolute sovereign power. Yet at its core lies a strikingly modern conception of individualism: Hobbes grounds his theory of political authority … Continue reading Critically examine the role of individualism in Hobbes’ theory of absolutism, with reference to his conception of human nature and the state.