About Social Contract Theory
In the aftermath of the Reformation Movement, a lot of people were questioning things that had previously been taken for granted, like government and religion. They were looking at what the role of the individual is, what society is and how it functions, what rights individuals have and what responsibilities an individual has to society. There was a questioning of the role of monarchy in government and a reexamination of the ancient tradition of democracy. Philosophers such as England's John Locke and France's Jean-Jacques Rousseau took a hard look at these questions and each wrote about their ideas on what was called the "social contract."
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History
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Locke discussed the social contract theory in his 1690 treatise, "Concerning Civil Government," while Rousseau tackled the subject in his 1762 work, "The Social Contract." They were aided in the promotion of this theory by the works of Thomas Hobbes, John Stuart Mill and David Hume. These ideas were very much on the mind of the Founding Fathers when they developed the philosophical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. The social contract theory was, at the time, at the forefront of progressive thought. They are principles that are just as fresh and relevant today as they were over 300 years ago.
Individual Rights
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The social contract theory rests on the premise that every individual possesses certain inalienable, or undeniable, rights. They are present from birth and are not earned; they just are. Locke stated that man "...hath by nature a power not only to preserve his property-that is, his life, liberty, and estate, against the injuries and attempts of other men, but to judge and punish the breaches of that law in others..." Rousseau creates a framework of general freedom and individual sovereignty without offering specific definitions.
Society
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The contract part of the social contract rests on the human need for companionship and cooperation, both emotionally and physically. Mankind, argues both men, is not meant to be alone and will form partnerships. In order to complete any large, complex, or long-lasting projects, he forms partnerships with a large number of people. This is the foundation of society.
Society and Rights
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Society offers protection of certain rights, such as life, property, and liberty---a sort of strength in numbers. But you cannot successfully live in a society and still have full expression of all your inalienable rights. So social contract theory states that individuals must give up some rights and curb others in order to protect society and promote the general will. The rights to judge and to punish are given to society and it becomes society's responsibility to safeguard an individual's life and property.
Liberty
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Liberty is still a right that belongs to the individual without restriction, until it conflicts with the good of society. At that point, according to Locke, individual liberty gets weighed against the benefit to society with the greatest good to the greatest number winning the day.
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