Is there such a thing as civilization?
Is there such a things as civilization? Or is what we call civilization an illusion and would we be wiser to return to our natural state? A central theme in the discourse about progress was the difference between the views of the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) and the French philosopher (from Swiss origin) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778). Hobbes view people as naturally cruel and violent, in other words as bad. In his book Leviathan , he explained that the solution for this problem is a monarchy or other form of government which represents the will of the people and has the monopoly on violence. He saw civilization as a way of curbing people's badness.