Simone Lawson
The social contract is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of a state's authority over its citizens. The social contract theory posits that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to abide by the rules and authority of the state in exchange for protection of their rights and the maintenance of social order. The U.S. Constitution, with its preamble beginning We the People of the United States, is often cited as an explicit example of a social contract between the government and its citizens. The preamble was written to convince the people to be governed by the constitution, which aims to create a just union that serves its people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The social contract is an idea, theory, or model | N/A |
| It is a core concept of constitutionalism | N/A |
| It is concerned with the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual | N/A |
| It is based on the idea that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms | Freedom |
| It is in exchange for protection of their remaining rights | Rights |
| It is concerned with the maintenance of the social order | Social order |
| It is related to the concept of natural and legal rights | Natural and legal rights |
| It is based on the idea of a state of nature where individuals' actions are bound only by their personal power and conscience | State of nature, personal power, conscience |
| It is based on the idea of a social contract as a voluntary agreement to give up natural freedom for political order | Political order |
| It is associated with philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
| It is considered an explicit social contract in the context of the US Constitution | US Constitution |
| It is related to the idea of a union that serves its people justly | Justice |
| It is based on the concept of mutual agreement and advantage | Mutual agreement, advantage |
| It is related to the idea of justice as a pledge of reciprocal benefit | Reciprocal benefit |
| It is based on the idea of implicit or explicit agreements that provide a framework for society | Society |
| It is related to the concept of prosocial behavior, where people voluntarily help others | Prosocial behavior |
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What You'll Learn
- The social contract is an idea, theory, or model that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual
- The social contract theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour
- The social contract theory says that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority in exchange for protection of their rights
- The social contract theory says that the government derives its authority from the consent of the governed
- The social contract theory says that the constitution is an explicit social contract between the American people, not a compact between states
The social contract is an idea, theory, or model that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual
The social contract is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. It is the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. This contract can be explicit, such as laws, or implicit, such as raising one's hand in class to speak. The social contract is often associated with modern moral and political theory and was first fully expounded by Thomas Hobbes, who argued that humans are naturally exclusively self-interested, and without a power to force cooperation, humans would exist in a constant state of conflict with every other person, killing each other for limited resources.
The social contract is an idea that has been around since antiquity, with antecedents in Greek and Stoic philosophy, Roman and Canon Law, and even in Indian Buddhist texts. However, its heyday was in the mid-17th to early 19th centuries when it emerged as the leading doctrine of political legitimacy. During this time, prominent theorists such as Hugo de Groot, Samuel von Pufendorf, and John Locke built upon Hobbes' work. The social contract is a core concept of constitutionalism, and the U.S. Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of a social contract. The preamble to the Constitution, which begins with "We the People of the United States," was written to convince the people to be governed by the Constitution and to create a union that serves its people justly.
The social contract is based on the idea that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the ruler or the decision of the majority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights or maintenance of social order. This concept is known as the "general will" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who is also a well-known proponent of social contract theory. According to Rousseau, the willingness to subject oneself to the general will is the essential ingredient of the social contract.
Social contract theory has been criticised by feminists and race-conscious philosophers, who argue that it may be an incomplete picture of our moral and political lives and may camouflage some of the ways in which the contract is parasitical upon the subjugation of certain classes of persons. Despite these criticisms, social contract theory remains influential and has shaped the development of constitutionalism and political philosophy.
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The social contract theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour
The social contract theory is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of a state's authority over individuals. It suggests that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to abide by the rules and authority of the state in exchange for the protection of their rights and the maintenance of social order. This theory is often associated with the idea that persons' moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement that establishes the society in which they live.
The social contract theory has its roots in ancient Greek and Stoic philosophy, Roman and Canon Law, and the work of philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Epicurus. However, the theory gained prominence in the mid-17th to early 19th centuries, with philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau as its prominent proponents. Hobbes, in particular, argued that without a social contract, humans would be in a constant state of conflict, killing each other for limited resources. He saw absolute government as the only alternative to the anarchy of a "state of nature".
In the United States, the Constitution is often viewed as an explicit social contract between the American people. The preamble, which begins with "We the People of the United States", was written to convince the people to be governed by the Constitution, creating a union that serves its people justly. This view of the Constitution as a social contract is supported by American legal scholar Joseph Postell, who argues that sovereignty resides in the people alone, according to social contract theory.
The social contract theory has been influential in shaping political thought and has been a dominant theory in moral and political philosophy, especially in the modern West. It has also been subject to criticisms and alternative interpretations, with some arguing that it provides an incomplete picture of our moral and political lives, and may even camouflage power dynamics and subjugation.
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The social contract theory says that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority in exchange for protection of their rights
The social contract theory is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. It is the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The social contract theory says that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority in exchange for protection of their rights.
The idea of a social contract is often attributed to Thomas Hobbes, who formulated the first modern understanding of the theory. Hobbes argued that in the absence of political order, humans, being self-interested, would exist in a constant state of conflict with one another. To avoid this, individuals enter into a social contract, establishing a political community (civil society) through which they gain security in return for subjecting themselves to an absolute sovereign. This contract, according to Hobbes, is an explicit agreement by individuals to give up certain natural freedoms and rights in favour of the absolute authority of the government.
Other philosophers, such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, have also promoted the social contract theory. Locke's views influenced the creation of a federal government under the Constitution of the United States. Rousseau's book, "The Social Contract" (1762), further discussed the concept, and his ideas are reflected in the US Constitution, which is often cited as an explicit example of a social contract.
The social contract theory is also evident in the preamble of the US Constitution, which begins with "We the People of the United States," indicating that the document is a social contract between the American people, not just an agreement between states. The preamble was written to convince the people to be governed by the constitution, creating a union that serves its people justly.
The roots of social contract theory can be traced back to ancient Greek and Stoic philosophy, Roman and Canon Law, and even the Indian Buddhist text Mahāvastu. The concept has evolved over time, with modern interpretations offered by philosophers such as John Rawls, who presented a Kantian version of the theory in the 20th century.
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The social contract theory says that the government derives its authority from the consent of the governed
The social contract theory is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. It is the view that a person's moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The social contract theory says that the government derives its authority from the consent of the governed. This means that people have consented to the authority of the government and social rules either explicitly or tacitly. This consent is considered the legitimate basis of government authority.
The idea of a social contract is that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the ruler or the decision of a majority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights or the maintenance of social order. This theory is often associated with modern moral and political theory and was first fully expounded by Thomas Hobbes, who argued that humans are naturally exclusively self-interested. He said that in a "'state of nature', human life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". In such a state, individuals' actions would be bound only by their personal power and conscience, assuming that 'nature' precludes mutually beneficial social relationships.
However, the roots of social contract theory can be traced back as early as Socrates, who used a social contract argument to explain to Crito why he must remain in prison and accept the death penalty. In Plato's Republic, Socrates argues that he has an overwhelming obligation to obey the laws of Athens because they have made his entire way of life and even his existence possible. He asserts that he must keep to this agreement and obey the laws, thereby consenting to the authority of the city.
In the United States, the Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of a social contract. It sets out what the government can and cannot do, and people who choose to live in America agree to be governed by the moral and political obligations outlined in the Constitution's social contract. The preamble to the Constitution, which begins with "We the People of the United States", was written to convince the people to be governed by the constitution and create a union that serves its people justly.
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The social contract theory says that the constitution is an explicit social contract between the American people, not a compact between states
The social contract theory is a concept in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. It is the view that persons' moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The idea of a social contract is that people have consented to the authority of the government and social rules either explicitly or tacitly. The social contract theory says that the people have consented to the government's authority and that this consent is the legitimate basis of that authority.
The social contract theory can be traced back to Greek and Stoic philosophy and Roman and Canon Law, with antecedents in the works of Socrates, Epicurus, and Plato. The first modern understanding of the social contract theory was formulated by Thomas Hobbes, who argued that humans are naturally exclusively self-interested, and in the absence of political order, there would be a constant state of conflict. Other philosophers who have promoted the social contract theory include John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Hugo de Groot, Samuel von Pufendorf, and John Rawls.
In the context of the American Constitution, the social contract theory holds that the Constitution is an explicit social contract between the American people, not a compact between states. This view is supported by the fact that the Constitution was ratified through 13 state conventions, where the people of each state elected delegates to approve the Constitution, rather than by the state legislatures. The preamble of the Constitution, which begins with the phrase "We the People of the United States," further reinforces this interpretation.
The social contract theory suggests that individuals have consented, either explicitly or implicitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order. In the American context, this means that people who choose to live in the United States agree to be governed by the moral and political obligations outlined in the Constitution's social contract. This contract provides a framework for harmony in society and establishes what the government can and cannot do.
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Frequently asked questions
The social contract is a theory in moral and political philosophy that concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. It is the idea that people have consented to the authority of the government and social rules either explicitly or tacitly.
The social contract theory's roots can be traced back to antiquity in Greek and Stoic philosophy and Roman and Canon Law. The theory was first fully expounded by Thomas Hobbes, who is followed by other prominent philosophers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The preamble, starting with "We the People of the United States", is viewed by many as an explicit social contract between the American people and their government. It was written to convince the people to be governed by the constitution and create a union that serves its people justly.
The constitution is often cited as an explicit example of a social contract, outlining the moral and political obligations of the government and its people. It sets out what the government can and cannot do, and the people agree to be governed by these rules by choosing to live in that country.
