Thomas Hobbes, in his seminal work Leviathan, famously described the 'state of nature' as a 'war of all against all' (bellum omnium contra omnes). For Hobbes, the state of nature is a hypothetical pre-political condition where there is no government, no laws, and no overarching authority to enforce order. He believed that human beings are fundamentally self-interested, driven by a perpetual and restless desire for power, and motivated by fear of death.

In this state, individuals possess a 'natural right' to everything, including each other's bodies, leading to constant competition, diffidence (distrust), and a desire for glory. Without a common power to keep them in awe, life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. There is no industry, no culture, no knowledge, and no society, as individuals are perpetually engaged in a struggle for survival. This dire condition, according to Hobbes, makes it rational for individuals to enter into a social contract, surrendering some of their natural rights to an absolute sovereign in exchange for security and order, thus escaping the horrors of the state of nature.