Classical Social Contract Theory

The Classical Social Contract Theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau Compared

Ensayo , 2008 , 19 Páginas , Calificación: 80%= good

Política - Filosofía política e historia de las ideas

This essay compares the classical social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Different perceptions of the state of nature resulted in different ideas about the social contract and its emphasis on either security (Hobbes), individual rights (Locke) or the collective freedom of Rousseau's general will. Political philosophy is believed to have started with Plato’s “Republic”, the first known
sophisticated analysis of a fundamental question that humans have probably been
concerned with much longer: how should human society be organised, i.e. who
should rule and why? Plato believed that ruling required special training and skills
and should therefore be left to an aristocracy of guardians who had received
extensive training. While the notion that ruling requires expertise can hardly be
denied there is also agreement among most philosophers that whoever qualifies for
the job of ruling needs to do so with the interest of the people in mind. But what is the
interest of the people and how can it be discovered? According to Plato, a necessary
precondition for rulers is wisdom and that is why he wanted his guardians to be
especially trained in philosophy. One may think that the people themselves should
know what is best for them but somewhat surprisingly this idea has been rejected not
just by Plato but also by many philosophers following him. Another approach is to link
rule on Earth to a mandate received from a divine Creator. However, even the idea
that humans could not exist without a government has been questioned, most
notably by anarchism.
Thus, the question of how political rule, the power to make decisions for others, could
be justified is an essential one. Only legitimate rule creates obligation and without
obligation it is hard to see how any form of society can survive.
It is precisely for these elementary questions that social contract theories attempt to
provide an answer for. The social contract can be seen as a device both for justifying
not only rule itself but a particular type of rule, and demonstrating that political
obligation can indeed be demanded. A unique feature of the classical social contract
theories discussed in this paper is that they started out with an analysis of the state
of nature.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• The State of Nature
  • Human Nature
  • Liberty and Equality in the State of Nature
  • Laws and Rights of Nature
  • Summary
• The Social Contract
  • Nature and Purpose of the Contract
  • The Sovereign
  • Liberty and Equality
  • The Problem of Consent
  • The Impact of Classical Social Contract Theories
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This paper aims to compare the classical social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. It examines their respective views on the state of nature, human nature, liberty, equality, and the social contract. The paper also explores the implications of these theories for the justification of political rule and the nature of political obligation.

• The State of Nature
• Human Nature
• The Social Contract
• Liberty and Equality
• Political Obligation

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The first chapter of this paper explores the concept of the state of nature, a hypothetical condition in which humans live without any form of government. It examines the views of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau on human nature, liberty, and equality in the state of nature. The chapter also discusses the laws and rights of nature as conceived by these philosophers.

The second chapter focuses on the social contract, a theoretical agreement by which individuals consent to be governed. It examines the nature and purpose of the social contract as envisioned by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. The chapter also explores their views on the role of the sovereign, the relationship between liberty and equality in a society governed by a social contract, and the problem of consent.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of this text include classical social contract theory, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, state of nature, human nature, liberty, equality, social contract, political obligation, and the justification of political rule.

• Universidad: University of Kerala (Department of Political Science)
• Curso: Political Theory- Liberal Tradition
• Calificación: 80%= good
• Autor: Sebastian Erckel (Autor)
• Año de publicación: 2008
• Páginas: 19
• No. de catálogo: V126144
• ISBN (Ebook): 9783640326945
• ISBN (Libro): 9783640327393
• Idioma: Inglés
• Etiqueta: Social Contract, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau