Which philosopher wrote Leviathan?

Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) wrote and published his book Leviathan in 1651. Hobbes got the name from the biblical Leviathan. Specifically, this work concerns the structure of society and legitimate government. It is truly regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. Experts point out that Leviathan ranks as a classic western work on statecraft, comparable to Machiavelli's The Prince.

Written during the English Civil War (1642–1651), Leviathan argues for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign. Hobbes directly stated that civil war and the brute situation of "the war of all against all" could only be avoided by strong, undivided government. According to Hobbes, the sovereign must have overall control of civil, military, judicial, and ecclesiastical powers.