The liberal and Marxist concepts of the state represent two influential and contrasting approaches to understanding political authority, society and power in the modern world. While liberalism generally views the state as an institution created to protect individual rights and maintain social order, Marxism regards the state primarily as an instrument connected with class domination and the economic structure of society. The liberal concept of the state developed alongside the rise of modern Europe, particularly with the decline of feudalism, the growth of capitalism and the emergence of individualism. Thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and later John Stuart Mill contributed to the development of liberal political thought. Liberalism places the individual at the centre of political life. The state is considered necessary because individuals require a common authority to protect their life, liberty and property and to maintain peace. John Locke