How did Thomas Hobbes describe life in the state of nature?

In his seminal work Leviathan, the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes described the state of nature as a condition of anarchy and a perpetual "war of every man against every man."12

Because there is no common power or enforceable criteria of right and wrong in this state, individuals are driven by self-interest, competition, and a lack of natural self-restraint. Hobbes famously characterized human life in this state as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."132

In this environment, individuals live in constant fear and danger of violent death, as even moderate people are forced to engage in preemptive aggression to ensure their own survival. Consequently, Hobbes argued that the state of nature is a disastrous condition that can only be escaped when individuals rationally agree to a social contract, transferring their right of self-government to a sovereign in exchange for security and peace.143