Thomas Hobbes. The War of All Against All
Leaders see their followers as partners, not just order executors. Tyranny, on the other hand, stands on the opposite pole, with tyrants acting through coercion and fear, striving for absolute power and subjugation.
A tyrant sees people merely as tools to achieve their often ambitious and selfish goals.
Ideally, a leader-state is based on principles of openness and democracy. In such a state, power perceives itself as an extension of the will of those who elected it.
A tyrant-state is symbolized by totalitarianism, suppression of rights and freedoms. In this model, the state often oppresses citizens' freedoms, controls the media, and persecutes the opposition. The policy of such a state is often isolationist and aggressive.
Often, one can see traits of both a leader-state and a tyrant-state within the same nation simultaneously. During wars and strikes, restrictions are imposed, and citizens' rights may be violated.
The economic policy of a tyrant-state is often aimed at enriching a small group close to the power.
Hobbes argued that in the absence of centralized power, people live in constant fear and hostility towards each other. To avoid anarchy and the war of all against all, people enter into a social contract, agreeing to transfer their rights to a sovereign in exchange for protection and order.
The social nature of humans implies a tendency to form groups, develop culture, and establish behavioral norms that facilitate communal living and mutual assistance. In this scenario, the war of all against all is more an exception than a rule.
In countries where the government is weak or corrupt, laws may not be properly enforced, and law enforcement agencies may be insufficiently effective in preventing violence, creating conditions where conflicts can easily ignite.
To avoid chaos, people must enter into a social contract and sacrifice their freedoms and rights to a sovereign. This sovereign or state assumes the duty of ensuring order and security.
Thus, Hobbes' "Leviathan" laid the foundation for understanding the relationship between the state and the individual. Hobbes envisioned society as a foundation consisting of various parts, and the state as a mighty Leviathan created by people to ensure order and protection.
Hobbes saw the state as an absolute monarchy, arguing that only such a form of government could effectively maintain order and prevent a return to anarchy. However, his ideas about the social contract served as a basis for developing more democratic theories in the works of philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.