Thomas Hobbes revolutionized political philosophy with his concept of the social contract, articulated in his 1651 work, "Leviathan." He argued that in the state of nature, human life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," leading individuals to collectively agree to surrender some freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for security and order. This foundation laid the groundwork for later political ideas about governance and the rights of individuals, influencing thinkers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and shaping modern democratic theory.