Hobbes is best known for his work Leviathan. This is a work that portrays humanity in a state of absolute competition. In such a situation the people of a state have the need to surrender some of their freedom in exchange for protection provided by the state. Thus the state exerts some control. It would only be by overcoming self centered behavior that such a situation could change. People would then be more safe and have more freedom. However they would have to be self disciplined to avoid falling into unwholesome patterns of behavior.