Thomas Hobbes, answered from the texts and cited to the page.
The covenant that founds civil society is not a promise made to a sovereign but a promise made among subjects — each man to every other man — by which every one says, in effect: I authorise and give up my right of governing myself to this man, or to this assembly of men, on this condition, that thou give up thy right to him, and authorize all his actions in like manner. The sovereign emerges from this mutual authorization, not as a party to the agreement, but as its product.1
Several things follow necessarily from this structure. First, a covenant is always an act of the will — the last act of deliberation — and therefore can only concern what is possible and future.2 A promise of the impossible binds no one; where performance becomes impossible, the obligation reduces to the utmost endeavour of performing as much as can be performed.3
Second, covenants require acceptance: it is impossible to covenant with one who cannot or does not declare acceptance, which is why covenanting directly with God requires a declared mediator — otherwise we cannot know whether the covenant is received.4 The deeper difficulty, which the social covenant resolves, is this: where both parties to a contract must trust, and neither is compellable by a power above them both, the one who performs first merely betrays himself to the covetousness of the other.5
Mere consent — the concurrence of many wills to one action — is therefore not sufficient security for common peace.6 What is required is a common power, erected by the covenant itself, whose terror compels performance and frames the wills of all to unity.7 The union so made is what we call a body politic or civil society: a multitude of men united as one person by a common power, for their common peace, defence, and benefit.8
The agreement of bees and ants is natural, the work of God through nature; the agreement of men is artificial, by covenant, and therefore requires something more than covenant alone to make it constant and lasting — namely, that common power to keep them in awe and direct their actions to the common benefit.9 This is the generation of that Mortal God, the Commonwealth, to which we owe, under the Immortal God, our peace and defence.10
I authorise and give up my right of governing myself to this man, or to this assembly of men, on this condition, that thou give up thy right to him, and authorize all his actions in like manner.Leviathan, p. 191
the matter or subject of a covenant is always something that falleth under deliberation (for to covenant is an act of the will; that is to say an act, and the last act, of deliberation) and is therefore always of possible and future.Leviathan, pp. 167–168
if that prove impossible afterwards which before was thought possible, the covenant is valid and bindeth, though not to the thing itself, yet to the value; or, if that also be impossible, to the unfeigned endeavour of performing as much as is possible (for to more no man can be obliged).Leviathan, pp. 167–168
it is impossible for any man to make a covenant with God Almighty, farther than it hath pleased him to declare who shall receive and accept of the said covenant in his name.The Elements of Law Natural and Politic, pp. 44–45
he that performeth first, considering the disposition of men to take advantage of every thing for their benefit, doth but betray himself thereby to the covetousness, or other passion of him with whom he contracteth.The Elements of Law Natural and Politic, pp. 44–45
consent (by which I understand the concurrence of many men's wills to one action) is not sufficient security for their common peace, without the erection of some common power, by the fear whereof they may be compelled both to keep the peace amongst themselves, and to join their strengths together, against a common enemy.The Elements of Law Natural and Politic, pp. 58–59
he that is to command may by the use of all their means and strength, be able by the terror thereof, to frame the will of them all to unity and concord amongst themselves.The Elements of Law Natural and Politic, pp. 58–59
a city, which may be defined to be a multitude of men, united as one person by a common power, for their common peace, defence, and benefit.The Elements of Law Natural and Politic, pp. 58–59
the agreement of these creatures is natural; that of men is by covenant only, which is artificial; and therefore, it is no wonder if there be somewhat else required (besides covenant) to make their agreement constant and lasting, which is a common power to keep them in awe, and to direct their actions to the common benefit.Leviathan, p. 191
This is the generation of that great LEVIATHAN, or rather (to speak more reverently) of that Mortal God to which we owe, under the Immortal God, our peace and defence.Leviathan, p. 191