Until I read Hobbes in my late 20s I couldn't see further. Give Leviathan a go. I suggest an easy way in is to listen to these lectures on Political Philosophy

Until I read Hobbes in my late 20s I couldn't see further. Give Leviathan a go. I suggest an easy way in is to listen to these lectures on Political Philosophy by prof. Steven B. Smith [2]. Now, Hobbes and Rousseau are flawed thinkers, but the gist of "social contract" theory still constitutes the foundation of the modern nations state, whether republic, parliamentary or monarchy. The failure, as an earlier commenter pointed out to be a "geopolitical risk" is when we don't uphold our own principles. the Rule of Law that we in the "west" are so (rightfully) proud of must therefore be as brutal against the rich and powerful as against the poor. Without that example to assuage the middle classes everything gravitates to two poles, those with everything to lose and those with nothing to lose. Hobbes rightly feared those with nothing to lose much more (being an aristocrat's teacher at a time of civil war) and seeing all the fancy lawyers and money in the world won't do you any good against a hungry peasant with a rifle and nothing left to protect, so the state must treat the rich and poor as equals. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(book) [2] https://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-114/lecture-1 https://oyc.yale.edu/political-science/plsc-114/lecture-1