This is why people should read Thomas Hobbes. His critique of "state of nature" thought experiments -- in which bright-eyed optimists somehow managed to convinc

This is why people should read Thomas Hobbes. His critique of "state of nature" thought experiments -- in which bright-eyed optimists somehow managed to convince themselves that people are naturally respectful of others and would only need to form extremely limited libertarian-style governments, and then only to deal with the tiny fraction of a fraction of people who wouldn't respect "natural" rights to life, property, etc. -- is devastatingly on point, showing exactly what such a "state of nature", if it ever existed, would look like and why a powerful centralized government would arise as the answer.