I don’t think Hobbes’ view of the state of nature has much to do with why it’s taught at all, nor do I think it is the main thing students takeaway from the book. Most of these schools are also going to emphasize that Hobbes lived during a time of civil war and intense strife.

It’s the foundational and most coherent argument for the social contract that would eventually come to define liberal democracy. I don’t think students are reading this thinking they need to “wield power.” That’s pretty disingenuous and is seems like unsubstantiated anti-elitism. Almost everyone disagrees with Hobbes’ conclusion, but understanding where exactly his argument breaks down gives very good insight into the theoretical underpinnings of western democracy.