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Social Contract Theory

Decent Essays

Using the Social Contract Theory to argue against increased regulation of guns, Timmons of Disputed Moral Issues (p.29) defines the Social Contract Theory as, “An action is morally right if and only if (and because) it is permitted by a set of moral principles that hypothetical agents would agree to under conditions that are ideal for choosing moral principles (the precise characteristics of the hypothetical agents and ideal conditions to be spelled out)”. As I attempted to analyze the social contract theory, I translated this theory as meaning in some circumstances gun usage can be morally justified and is thereby permitted for the safety and lives of the innocent. For example, if an armed or unarmed subject was to enter a home posing a threat towards the homeowner, the homeowner has the right to bear arms to protect oneself as well as the family’s life.

Next, with so much crime occurring in the world today, many adults, excluding people with mental illnesses, should have the right to possess guns for protection from bodily harm, but the guns should be locked away in a safe that is easily accessible to the owners only. Additionally, no child should have access to their parents’ guns without permission. As far as permission goes, a child may have permission from their parents to hunt or target …show more content…

Therefore, all sane adults should have protection. Next, if a person is being severely beaten by several bullies and no one attempts to break up the fight or call the police, that severely beaten person should be able to defend themselves however they see fit to possibly keep the bullies from harming others later. However, the element of surprise to a criminal could possibly force that subject to run off. For example, if the victim was armed with a gun and the subject did not expect the victim to have a gun in their

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