what was the social contract about

The Social Contract, originally published as On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a 1762 book in which Rousseau theorized about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society, which he had already identified in his Discourse on Inequality. The Social Contract helped inspire political reforms or revolutions in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract argued against the idea that monarchs

Full Answer

Who believed in the social contract?

Modern Social Contract Theory

• a. Thomas Hobbes. Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679, lived during the most crucial period of early modern England’s history: the English Civil War, waged from 1642-1648.
• b. John Locke. For Hobbes, the necessity of an absolute authority, in the form of a Sovereign, followed from the utter brutality of the State of Nature.
• c. Jean-Jacques Rousseau. ...

What is meant by the term social contract?

What the social contract means, according to Locke, is that people give up their ability to use violence against another human being and let the state judge these things.

What are the benefits of a social contract?

The benefits of a social contract include:

• Trust
• Openness
• Simple yet powerful
• Coherence
• Input being valued
• Everyone being heard
• Responsibility
• Accountability
• Discourages negative behaviour
• Fosters understanding of expectations

What is the principle of social contract?

Social Contract Theory. Social contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, 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. Socrates uses something quite like a social contract argument to explain to Crito why he must remain in ...

What was John Locke social contract about?

In simple terms, Locke's social contract theory says: government was created through the consent of the people to be ruled by the majority, “(unless they explicitly agree on some number greater than the majority),” and that every man once they are of age has the right to either continue under the government they were ...

What is social contract in history?

social contract, in political philosophy, an actual or hypothetical compact, or agreement, between the ruled or between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each.

What is the social contract simple definition?

Definition of social contract : an actual or hypothetical agreement among the members of an organized society or between a community and its ruler that defines and limits the rights and duties of each.

Why was the social contract written?

The stated aim of The Social Contract is to determine whether there can be a legitimate political authority since people's interactions he saw at his time seemed to put them in a state far worse than the good one they were at in the state of nature, even though living in isolation.

What did Locke and Rousseau argue about the social contract?

Alternatively, Locke and Rousseau argued that we gain civil rights in return for accepting the obligation to respect and defend the rights of others , giving up some freedoms to do so. The central assertion that social contract theory approaches is that law and political order are not natural, but human creations.

What is the starting point of social contract theory?

The starting point for most social contract theories is an examination of the human condition absent of any political order (termed the " state of nature " by Thomas Hobbes ). In this condition, individuals' actions are bound only by their personal power and conscience.

Why were states in conflict?

Just like the state of nature, states were thus bound to be in conflict because there was no sovereign over and above the state (more powerful) capable of imposing some system such as social-contract laws on everyone by force. Indeed, Hobbes' work helped to serve as a basis for the realism theories of international relations, advanced by E. H. Carr and Hans Morgenthau. Hobbes wrote in Leviathan that humans ("we") need the "terrour of some Power" otherwise humans will not heed the law of reciprocity, " (in summe) doing to others, as wee would be done to".

Why can a group of people join a government?

Thus, these arguments held that a group of people can join a government because it has the capacity to exercise a single will and make decisions with a single voice in the absence of sovereign authority —a notion rejected by Hobbes and later contract theorists.

What is the relation between natural and legal rights?

The relation between natural and legal rights is often a topic of social contract theory . The term takes its name from The Social Contract (French: Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique ), a 1762 book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau that discussed this concept.

How did John Locke's social contract differ from Hobbes'?

John Locke 's conception of the social contract differed from Hobbes' in several fundamental ways, retaining only the central notion that persons in a state of nature would willingly come together to form a state. Locke believed that individuals in a state of nature would be bound morally, by the Law of Nature, not to harm each other in their lives or possessions. Without government to defend them against those seeking to injure or enslave them, Locke further believed people would have no security in their rights and would live in fear. Individuals, to Locke, would only agree to form a state that would provide, in part, a "neutral judge", acting to protect the lives, liberty, and property of those who lived within it .

What is social contract?

In moral and political philosophy, the social contract is a theory or model that originated during the Age of Enlightenment and usually concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, ...

What is the social contract?

The Social Contract argued against the idea that monarchs were divinely empowered to legislate. Rousseau asserts that only the people, who are sovereign, have that all-powerful right.

When was the social contract first published?

Publication date. 1762. The Social Contract, originally published as On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right ( French: Du contrat social; ou Principes du droit politique) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a 1762 book in which Rousseau theorized about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems ...

Why is Rousseau's social contract important?

In this desired social contract, everyone will be free because they all forfeit the same number of rights and impose the same duties on all. Rousseau argues that it is absurd for a man to surrender his freedom for slavery; thus, the participants must have a right to choose the laws under which they live. Although the contract imposes new laws, including those safeguarding and regulating property, there are restrictions on how that property can be legitimately claimed. His example with land includes three conditions; that the land be uninhabited, that the owner claims only what is needed for subsistence, and that labour and cultivation give the possession legitimacy.

What did Voltaire say about the burning of the social contract?

In his Idées républicaines (1765), he reacted to the news that The Social Contract had been burned in Geneva, saying "The operation of burning it was perhaps as odious as that of writing it.

Who was the Jesuit who banned the work of the Confusion of the Social Contract?

The work received a refutation called The Confusion of the Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau by the Jesuit Alfonso Muzzarelli in Italy in 1794. The influence of Rousseau on Maximilien Robespierre. from his diary during the Estates-General of 1789 : Divine man!

What are the two parts of a society?

Rousseau posits that the political aspects of a society should be divided into two parts. First, there must be a sovereign consisting of the whole population , which included women (in a way that was not practiced by almost all countries and so was quite revolutionary to suggest), that represents the general will and is the legislative power within the state. The second division is that of the government, being distinct from the sovereign. This division is necessary because the sovereign cannot deal with particular matters like applications of the law. Doing so would undermine its generality, and therefore damage its legitimacy. Thus, the government must remain a separate institution from the sovereign body. When the government exceeds the boundaries set in place by the people, it is the mission of the people to abolish such government and begin anew.

Social Contract Definition: Government Should Rely on Consent of the Governed

The concept that government should rely on the consent of the governed is based on citizens giving their consent to be governed by leaders by voting in elections. Those who are voted into the government favorably are expected to create laws that are based on the needs of their constituents.

Socrates and the Social Contract Theory

Socrates is considered the founder of the social contract theory. He stated that living in a place essentially signifies that you agree to the laws of that land and the repercussions for breaking those laws. If you choose to live in a place, you voluntarily choose to obey the stated laws.

Thomas Hobbes' Mechanistic Theory of Human Nature

Thomas Hobbes puts forth a view of the social contract that is referred to as the mechanistic theory of human nature. He believed that all power should reside in the government's hands, such as within a monarchy, and that those under government rule have no right to rebel.

John Locke's State of Nature

John Locke was in complete opposition to Hobbes's theory and felt that humans will not harm one another because they are bound by natural morals. However, he did believe that there is a need for government to protect people from others who would try to injure or enslave them.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Second Discourse and Social Contract

Rousseau believed that laws are an expression of liberty and not an infringement of personal freedom because the laws were made by way of collaboration. These collaborators to whom he refers to as the popular sovereign decide what is good for the whole.

What is social contract theory?

Social contract theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior. Some people believe that if we live according to a social contract, we can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it. Over the centuries, philosophers as far back as ...

What to do if playback doesn't begin?

If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

Who suggested that morality is the set of rules governing behavior that rational people accept?

Philosopher Stuart Rachels suggests that morality is the set of rules governing behavior that rational people accept, on the condition that others accept them too.

Is the Constitution an explicit example of a social contract?

Social contracts can be explicit, such as laws, or implicit, such as raising one’s hand in class to speak. The U.S. Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of part of America’s social contract.

How did Hobbes' state come into existence?

Thomas Hobbes ’s state, or “ Leviathan ,” comes into being when its individual members renounce their powers to execute the laws of nature, each for himself, and promise to turn these powers over to the sovereign —which is created as a result of this act—and to obey thenceforth the laws made by this sovereign. These laws enjoy authority because individual members of society are in effect their co-authors. According to Locke, individuals promise to agree to accept the judgments of a common judge (the legislature) when they accede to the compact that establishes civil society. After this (in one interpretation of Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government ), another set of promises is made—between the members of the civil society, on the one hand, and the government, on the other. The government promises to execute its trust faithfully, leaving to the people the right to rebel in case the government breaks the terms of the contract, or, in other words, violates the constitution. Subsequent generations accept the terms of the compact by accepting the inheritance of private property that is created and protected by the compact. Anyone who rejects the constitution must leave the territory of the political unit and go in vacuis locis, or “empty places”—America, in Locke’s time. In his Letters on Toleration, Locke characteristically excluded atheists from religious toleration because they could be expected either not to take the original contractual oath or not to be bound by the divine sanctions invoked for its violation. For Rousseau, too, the willingness to subject oneself to the “ general will ” to which only the popular sovereign can give expression is the essential ingredient of the social contract. In taking this position, Rousseau may have been influenced by the experience of his native Geneva. The Swiss Confederation is still referred to officially, in German, as an Eidgenossenschaft, a term best translated as “fellowship of the oath.”

What was Hobbes' contribution to the constitution?

Hobbes’s main contribution to constitutionalism lies in his radical rationalism. Individuals, according to Hobbes, come together out of the state of nature, which is a state of disorder and war, because their reason tells them that they can best ensure their self-preservation by giving all power to a sovereign. The sovereign may consist of a single person, an assembly, or the whole body of citizens; but regardless of its form, all the powers of sovereignty have to be combined and concentrated in it. Hobbes held that any division of these powers destroyed the sovereign and thereby returned the members of the commonwealth to the state of nature, in which the condition of man is “. . . solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes therefore preferred the singular sovereign since he was less likely than an assembly or than the whole body of citizens to become internally or functionally divided. The individual should retain only his natural rights, which he cannot surrender into the common pool of sovereign powers. These rights include the right against self-incrimination, the right to purchase a substitute for compulsory military service, and the right to act freely in instances in which the laws are silent.

How did Locke provide the individual with natural rights?

Locke attempted to provide firm assurance of the individual’s natural rights, partly by assigning separate though coordinated powers to the monarch and Parliament and partly by reserving the right of revolution against a government that had become unconstitutionally oppressive. Locke did not use the word sovereignty. In this as in other respects, he remained within the English constitutional tradition, which had eschewed the concentration of all powers in a single organ of government. The closest that English constitutionalists came to identifying the centre of sovereign power was in the phrase, used frequently from the 16th century onward, the king (or queen) in Parliament.

What did Hobbes believe about the state of nature?

Hobbes held that any division of these powers destroyed the sovereign and thereby returned the members of the commonwealth to the state of nature, in which the condition of man is “. . . solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short.”.

What is Rousseau's social contract?

For Rousseau, too, the willingness to subject oneself to the “ general will ” to which only the popular sovereign can give expression is the essential ingredient of the social contract. In taking this position, Rousseau may have been influenced by the experience of his native Geneva.

What rights should an individual have?

These rights include the right against self-incrimination, the right to purchase a substitute for compulsory military service, and the right to act freely in instances in which the laws are silent.

Why do laws enjoy authority?

These laws enjoy authority because individual members of society are in effect their co-authors. According to Locke, individuals promise to agree to accept the judgments of a common judge (the legislature) when they accede to the compact that establishes civil society.

What did Locke mean by the state of nature?

When Locke referred to the "state of nature," he meant that people have a natural state of independence, and they should be free "to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature.".

What did John Locke believe about the social contract?

He stressed the role of the individual and the idea that in a "state of nature," people are essentially free. When Locke referred to the "state of nature," he meant that people have a natural state of independence, and they should be free "to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature." Locke argued that people are thus not royal subjects, but in order to secure their property rights, people willingly give over their right to a central authority to judge whether a person is going against the laws of nature and needed to be punished.

What was the social contract theory used for?

Revolutionary-era Americans favored social contract theory over the British Tory concepts of patriarchal government and looked to the social contract as support for the rebellion. During the antebellum and Civil War periods, social contract theory was used by all sides. Enslavers used it to support states' rights and succession, Whig party moderates upheld the social contract as a symbol of continuity in government, and abolitionists found support in Locke's theories of natural rights.

What is Hobbes' famous summation of life in nature?

His famous summation of life in "nature" (before government) is that it was "nasty, brutish, and short.". Hobbes' theory was that in the past, the people mutually agreed to create a state, giving it only enough power to provide protection of their well-being.

What is the social contract in politics?

He is the author of "The Everything American Presidents Book" and "Colonial Life: Government.". The term "social contract" refers to the idea that the state exists only to serve the will of the people, who are the source ...

What was the impact of the social contract on the founding fathers?

Impact on the Founding Fathers. The idea of the social contract had a huge impact on the American Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) and James Madison (1751–1836). The U.S. Constitution starts with the three words, "We the people...," embodying this idea of popular sovereignty in the very beginning of this key document.

Which type of government is less important to Locke?

The type of government is less important to Locke (except for absolute despotism): Monarchy, aristocracy, and republic are all acceptable forms of government as long as that government provides and protects the basic rights of life, liberty, and property to the people.

Why do periodic assemblies prolong the life of a state?

Periodic assemblies can prolong the life of a state, but eventually every state will fall because of the usurpations of government. However, all citizens must fulfill their civic duties while the state exists. They cannot employ representatives to articulate the general will because sovereignty cannot be transferred.

What is the system of beliefs Rousseau calls civil religion?

This system of beliefs, which Rousseau calls "civil religion, " consists of belief in a God and the afterlife, universal justice, and respect for the sanctity of the social contract.

What is the social contract Rousseau begins with?

The Social Contract Summary. Rousseau begins The Social Contract with the notable phrase "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.". Because these chains are not found in the state of nature, they must be constructions of convention. Rousseau thus seeks the basis for a legitimate, political authority in which people must give up their ...

What type of government does the sovereign have?

There are three main types of government: democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. The type is chosen based on several factors, including population and climate.

What is the best way to restraining the executive?

The best means of restraining the executive is holding periodic assemblies. Although this may seem difficult, Rousseau cites Ancient Rome to show that this can be achieved even in large states. When the people convene, they must decide whether they approve of the current form of government and their leaders.

Which philosophers argued that the establishment of government is not a contract?

Rousseau asserts that the establishment of government is not, as philosophers such as Hobbes and Grotius have argued, a contract. The sovereign employs the government as a representative of the people in charge ...

What is Rousseau's solution to the problem of legitimate authority?

Rousseau's solution to the problem of legitimate authority is the "social contract," an agreement by which the people band together for their mutual preservation. This act of association creates a collective body called the "sovereign.". The sovereign is the supreme authority in the state, and has its own life and will.

What is the social contract?

With the famous phrase, "man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains," Rousseau asserts that modern states repress the physical freedom that is our birthright, and do nothing to secure the civil freedom for the sake of which we enter into civil society.

What does Rousseau call the collective grouping of all citizens?

Rousseau calls the collective grouping of all citizens the "sovereign," and claims that it should be considered in many ways to be like an individual person. While each individual has a particular will that aims for his own best interest, the sovereign expresses the general will that aims for the common good.

How does the government exercise its sovereignty?

The people exercise their sovereignty by meeting in regular, periodic assemblies.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Summary

Overview

History

Philosophers

Criticism

See also

Further reading

Summary

Overview

Reception

See also

Further reading

External links