Thomas Hobbes came up with the idea of the social contract in 1657. His ideas were influenced by the English Civil War. He argued the importance of government, saying that society would be in ruins without it. Because of his pessimistic view of people, believing we are all born naturally evil and corrupt, he believed that absolute rule was the only answer. He wanted to form a social contract with the government primarily because he wanted to ensure self-interest. John Locke built off of Hobbes ideas but changed them to fit his own ideals. He wanted the power of government to come from the people's consent, keeping the rulers accountable to their people, yet in power.
I would say that the theme that Leo Tolstoy explores in this excerpt from The Death of Ivan Ilyich is that C) human mortality is inevitable, and it is important to live an authentic life.
