In 'Leviathan', Thomas Hobbes posits that to avoid the chaos of the state of nature, individuals must surrender their rights to an absolute sovereign. Once this social contract is established, the sovereign's authority is absolute and indivisible. Consequently, subjects have no right to revolt or disobey, as the sovereign's commands are the ultimate source of law and order.

For Hobbes, the laws of nature are rational precepts derived from the human desire for self-preservation. He defines them as 'theorems' because they are conclusions reached by reason that dictate how individuals should behave to avoid the 'war of all against all' inherent in the state of nature, thereby facilitating the transition to a stable civil society.

Hobbes argued that in the absence of a powerful central authority, humans would inevitably descend into a state of chaos. He believed that only an absolute sovereign, or 'Leviathan', could enforce laws and maintain order, thereby providing the necessary security for the weak to exist without constant fear of violence from others.

Hans Morgenthau, a foundational realist, viewed the human desire for power as an inherent, often irrational, drive. This perspective shares significant common ground with Thomas Hobbes, who famously described human nature as being characterized by a 'perpetual and restless desire of power after power.' Both thinkers emphasize that this drive is a fundamental aspect of human existence that shapes political behavior and the nature of the state.

Hobbes argued that in the 'state of nature,' human life was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short due to constant conflict. To escape this state of perpetual anarchy and war, individuals collectively agreed to surrender their natural rights to a sovereign authority in exchange for security and order.

Thomas Hobbes is a foundational figure in social contract theory. In his seminal work, 'Leviathan', he argues that individuals in a state of nature, characterized by chaos and fear, enter into a rational agreement to surrender their natural rights to a sovereign authority in exchange for security and order. This transition from a state of nature to a civil society through mutual consent is the hallmark of his social contract framework.

Hobbes argued that the social contract creates a sovereign whose authority is perpetual. Once the people have transferred their rights to the Leviathan, the sovereign power is absolute and permanent, designed to prevent the state from collapsing back into the 'state of nature.' This perpetuity is essential for maintaining the order and security that the sovereign is tasked to provide.

The correct matches are: (a) Hobbes defended absolute sovereignty; (b) Locke advocated for limited constitutional government; (c) Rousseau argued that sovereignty originates in and remains with the people; (d) J.S. Mill is known for his staunch defense of individual freedom of thought and expression.

Hobbes argued that the sovereign is not a party to the social contract but rather the product of it. The individuals in the state of nature agree to surrender their rights to a third party—the Leviathan—who is created by this agreement. Because the sovereign is not a party to the contract, they cannot breach it, ensuring their absolute authority.

In Hobbes's 'Leviathan,' the state of nature is described as a war of all against all. Fear of violent death is the primary motivator that drives rational individuals to enter into a social contract, surrendering their absolute freedom to a sovereign in exchange for security and order.