By stating that people require rules and, with that, some sort of governance in order to get along, Thomas Hobbes shows his pessimism about the natural state of human behavior. His claims rely on the belief that without any rules, people would fall into a lawless and contentious society. This is because every human has their own values and priorities, and there is inevitably going to be conflict, along with possible danger that could arise from said conflict.

Hobbes positions an authoritative figure as a savior of sorts, keeping us from falling into the disarray of bickering endlessly with one another by creating societal standards for "right" and "wrong" ways to behave.

Textual evidence from Leviathan supports Hobbes's hopelessness for natural human behavior. He argues that since every grown human is capable of killing another, regardless of physical strength or mental prowess, there exists no natural source of authority to provide order. Thus, an artificial source must be established in the form of a government.