THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY The idea of the social contract goes back‚ to Thomas Hobbes; John Locke‚ Jean-Jacques Rousseau‚ and Immanuel Kant developed it in different ways. After Kant the idea largely fell into disrepute until John Rawls resurrected it. It is now at the heart of the work of a number of moral and political philosophers. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contract the social contract theorists and their views on the origin of state. THOMAS HOBBES: (1588-1679) Background:
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THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY The theory is as old as philosophy itself. It is of 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 theory of a social contract is therefore a hypothesis explaining how society originates as well as the presumed relationships between its members‚ how they incur responsibilities and their rights. Early proponents of the social contract theory include; - Socrates
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Hobbes and the Hypothetical Contract In dealing with the problem with political authority Thomas Hobbes proposes that state’s derive their power from a hypothetical social contract that is made between a government and its citizens. It attempts to solve the problem with political legitimacy and political obligation; the right to rule and the reason citizens obey those in power. Hobbes believes that the only way to get out of a wild and unjust “state of nature” is to collectively give up some of
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disintegration of American values was reflected in manners and morals that shook American society to the depths." (Leuchtenburg) The 1920’s was an era in which the Americans showed their independence through actions; learning not to live the same ways that those preceded them had. The ’20s was a cultural and socialistic rebellious attitude‚ decomposing past American ethics and beliefs. The most obvious rebellion is shown by the feminine movements during this time. The 1920’s led to a new role for American
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The purpose of a Social Contract is to keep society in order. Ways of keeping society in order are human rights‚ the constitution‚ police departments‚ and education in which all contributes in having a progressing society. Human rights have to be protected which are the first 13 or 14 amendments that’s states people’s rights. If humans didn’t have any rights of their own we would feel enslaved due to that we have no freedom. The Constitution contains laws that every human being has to follow unless
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JUSTIFIED BY THE SOCIAL CONTRACT? DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO THINKERS EXAMINED IN THIS UNIT Modern politics governments differ from state to state based on their constitutions. The origins of some of these constitutions are somewhat unclear and my essay will attempt to shed light on what foundations they might have been built. I will give Thomas Hobbes definition of man in the ‘the state of nature’ and the transformation from this state to society‚ with differing views of this transformation
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Rousseau’s Social Misunderstanding In The Social Contract‚ Jean-Jacques Rousseau proposes a utopian type social contract that all citizens are informally entered into. In this contract‚ Rousseau calls for the people to sacrifice their natural freedoms in order to receive a greater and more beneficial state of civil liberty. Civil liberty being the state of being subject to laws that are for the benefit of the community opposed to the individual. Rousseau claims that these sacrifices will result
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In this essay I will be discussing Thomas Hobbes’ and John Locke’s interpretation of the social contract theory. I will then be evaluating Locke’s argument that his conclusions differ from Hobbes’ as he claims. My thesis is the following: John Locke’s argument that his conclusions are different from Thomas Hobbes’ conclusions is not valid. He makes no claim as to why people are motivated to enter into a social contract; he also does not establish where the understanding of personal property comes
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Explanatory Essay #5 In the Social Contract‚ Rousseau describes some rules of administration in the civil order in which I feel Rousseau distributes some solid effective prescription on how to deal with the emergence and prevalence of social disorder that he laid out in the Discourse. The main point from the Discourse that’s in the Social Contract which are Man is born free‚ and everywhere he is in chains. the Sovereign‚ having no force other than the legislative power‚ acts only by means of the laws;
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Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller; Captains of industry‚ or robber barons? True‚ Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller may have been the most influential businessmen of the 19th century‚ but was the way they conducted business proper? To fully answer this question‚ we must look at the following: First understand how Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller changed market of their industries. Second‚ look at the similarities and differences in how both men achieved domination. And
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