1. Social Contract Theory

2. Social Contract Theory & Significance  Social Contract Theory: Society is based upon a shared agreement of all citizens. Citizens give up certain rights and privileges in return for the protection and mutual advantage of the state.  Helps to answer questions such as… Why does government exist? –Collective interest Why should we obey laws? –Implied Contract Where does justice come from? –Mutual obligations

3.  Jean-Jacques Rousseau called our collective interests and decisions our General Will.  The theory shifts belief of government’s creation away from an outside source that imposes laws, but an internal source (General Will) that we impose upon ourselves.  During the 18 th century revolutions, Social Contracts played a central role in many nations’ beginnings (U.S.A., France, Haiti, etc).  Social contracts sometimes highlight rights (Bill of Rights)  Rights can be negative or positive (right not to be interfered with vs. right to vote)

4. Is Society Preferable?  Many philosophers urge one to question: Is this ‘state of government’ preferable to the ‘state of nature’? -Hobbes: Nature was brutal and short. People are naturally selfish; chaos without government. A powerful central authority is needed to curb these human frailties. -Locke: In nature, we were hard-working creators, cultivating the soil  ownership of property. -Rousseau: The state of nature was time of plenty; Survival was easy (lots of food, shelter in nature). “Natural man was happier and healthier than most of us.” Society is a testament to our inventiveness & gullability.

5. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)  Wrote during the time of the English Civil War  State of nature was not preferable nor healthy for the human condition.  Believed a strong central authority was needed in a good Social Contract  The social contract should set up laws and enforcements to curb our negative qualities.  “Outside of civil states, there is always a war of all against all.”

6. John Locke (1632 – 1704)  An English physician and philosopher. Sometimes referred to as the Father of British Empiricism  State of nature was a time of hard-work & cultivation of land  creates land-ownership  Mixing labor with land is what created property  Social Contract was created to protect our property  “[B]ut supposing the world given, as it was, to the children of men in common, we see how labour could make men distinct titles to several parcels of it, for their private uses…," thus giving every individual the license to obtain goods through labor”

7. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)  Swiss philosopher wrote the seminal text The Social Contract  State of nature was actually quite nice. Life was easy, little work was needed, food was plentiful  Society corrupts us (makes us desire false ideas or false materials)  Rousseau did believe that someday the Social Contract may restore some of our natural vitality & could make us into something more than merely ‘natural.’

8. Responses to Social Contract Theory Libertarianism – The view that people are defined by natural rights. Focuses on ‘negative rights’ (i.e., right to be left alone). Believes in little/no government interference unless absolutely necessary for the general good. Liberalism – The view that people are defined by natural rights. Focuses on ‘positive rights’ (i.e., right to benefits of society). Believes in a strong central government to administer social programs. Communitarianism – The view that society ought to be defined less in terms of individual rights instead of societal duties. People are defined more as functions of the society than independent entities.

9. Questions 1). Whose Social Contract Theory do you agree with the most? The least? Explain! 2). Has society acted more to improve humans or has society ‘corrupted’ us? If improve, how (be specific)? If it has corrupted us, how (be specific)? 3). What strengths or weaknesses exist in any of the 3 political beliefs discussed in the previous slide?