Thomas Hobbes, in his seminal work 'Leviathan,' posited that in a 'state of nature' – a hypothetical condition without government or laws – human beings would behave in a fundamentally self-interested and competitive manner. He famously described this state as a "war of all against all" (bellum omnium contra omnes), where every individual is driven by a perpetual and restless desire for power that ceases only in death. In such a state, there would be no morality, justice, or society, and life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

This behavior, according to Hobbes, reveals several innate predispositions of human nature. Firstly, humans are inherently egoistic and self-preserving, prioritizing their own survival and well-being above all else. Secondly, they are driven by passions, particularly fear of death and the desire for comfort, which motivate their actions. Thirdly, humans possess a degree of rationality, enabling them to foresee the dangers of the state of nature and seek a way out. This rationality, combined with their self-interest, leads them to agree to a social contract, surrendering some individual liberties to a sovereign power in exchange for security and order. Thus, for Hobbes, our innate predispositions are primarily self-serving, fearful, and rational, ultimately leading us to seek peace through collective submission to authority.