In social contract theory, what do people give up in exchange for security and order according to Hobbes?

In social contract theory, particularly as articulated by Thomas Hobbes in his work "Leviathan," individuals enter into an agreement where they relinquish certain rights and freedoms to gain security and order provided by a governing authority. Hobbes argued that in a state of nature, people act in their self-interest, leading to chaos and conflict. To escape this state of insecurity, individuals consent to submit their personal freedoms to a sovereign power that can maintain peace and protect them.

By ceding these rights, such as the right to violence or anarchy, people gain the benefits of living in a structured society with established laws and leadership that can enforce peace and protect citizens. This trade-off highlights the foundational ideas in political philosophy regarding the balance between liberty and security. The other options—wealth, land, and education—while valuable, are not the core elements that Hobbes emphasized in relation to the creation of social order and stability through a social contract.