The Theory Of The Social Contract Theory Essay

Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory is minimally related to that of cultural relativism. Both deal with human nature and the search for peace. But while cultural relativism is in some ways a noteworthy theory, the social contract theory is the only one of the two that could logically work in an active environment.

The social contract is an agreement between the ruler and the subject. It states that the subjects give up a portion of their rights in order to be ruled providing that the person in charge does not abuse his power. The benefit to the social contract is that violence is not the main conclusion to if the people are not happy. However, as a ruler from the 18th century the most obvious downside is that the power gained from social contract is not as large compared to Divine Right of Kings or Mandate of

"The current federal system of government in the United States is failing to meet its social contract obligations to the American people." There is nothing closer to the truth than this statement. While some may argue that the government is following the guidelines of a social contract, many aspects of the government have outgrown their britches and taken over.

Everything that could be said about Thomas Hobbes has already been said. With the in-ternet it is infinitely easier to find information on anybody. So instead of trying to do something a Google search is able to achieve, this paper will have the basics one would need to know about Hobbes to understand the concept of the “Social Contract Theory” which will be explained a lit-tle later.

The social contract is the at the core of legitimacy theory. Social contract is essential a political concept. It essential meant that an inviduals whom enjoys absolute freedom in his natural state ,surrender part of their freedom to a central authority,

Hobbes, the author of Leviathan argues that social unity and civil peace are the most important factors for a state and that they will be best achieved by a social contract created by a commonwealth. The ideas presented in Leviathan provide strong arguments about human nature and they seek to answer the epistemological questions of political science. Thomas Hobbes describes the state of nature as being a state of war, and this drives his judgment that an authoritarian government must be created to provide for its citizens the protection they need.

This essay is aimed at discussing how human nature in Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau impact the way that the role and function of the state is viewed. Human Nature is referred to as the essential and immutable character of all human beings. Others may refer to it as the biological or genetic factor suggesting that there is an established and unchanging human core. It highlights what is innate and natural about human life, as opposed to what human beings have gained from education or through social experience. A social contract is an agreements made either among citizens or between citizens which gives rise to the State. When the social contract involves the mutual agreement between individuals in order to gain something from the

I believe Hobbes understands the state of nature as something that needs to be avoided at all cost. I have interpreted Hobbes’ as trying to understand the problem of human obligation, whether or not there are moral reasons for each of us to obey the laws of our country. Moral reasons, for Hobbes, are laws that are imperative for us to all obey. Failure to cohere to these laws would result in serious consequences for greater mankind. So, Hobbes indicates that human obligation is just political obligation and offers a rational justification for an absolute sovereign - his solution. In this essay, I discuss the position advocated by Hobbes on the problem of human obligation and then his solution to it. In my opinion, although there are very strong criticisms of his solution to the problem, his argument still holds great hopes to solving the problem.

In the beginning of time, there was no government to regulate man. This caused a burden on society and these hardships had to be conquered, which is when a social contract was developed. The social contract theory is "a model that addresses the questions of the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over an individual" (Bahuleyan). It rests on the idea that every person has certain natural and evident rights, which begins from birth. This supports the physical and emotional need for cooperation and companionship. Social contract is the thought that human beings have an understanding with their government and that both sides understand and agree to their roles. James Madison stated that "Wherever the real power in a government lies, there is the danger of oppression” (Madison). James Madison feels our governments real power is in the community majority, and the infiltration of private rights is primarily to be seized, not from the deeds of government who oppose to the sensibility of it constituents, but from actions in which the government is used as an instrument of the chief amount of the constituents. There are several different views when it comes to this subject. The best known advocates of this theory are: Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Rousseau believes that

The 17th Century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes is now widely regarded as one of a handful of truly great political philosophers, whose masterwork Leviathan rivals in significance the political writings of Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, and Rawls. Hobbes is famous for his early and elaborate development of what has come to be known as “social contract theory”, the method of justifying political principles or arrangements by appeal to the agreement that would be

The creation of a social contract in the Hobbesian perspective, can then be justified by a need to protect oneself from the state of nature. Rather than live in the state of nature, where “there [is] no common Power to fear,” Hobbes proposes a society in which people can feel some sense of security. Fear for one’s safety is the only reason one needs to enter into the social contract. To ensure the contract is valid, society is ruled by the “Leviathan,” as there is always a “fear of not performance on either part” due to man’s innate desire to take what he wants with little disregard for others. With a larger, omnipotent power at the head to enforce the law, one does not have to fear one’s neighbor, one does not have to fear one's neighbor; one must fear only the government. To Hobbes, prior to the creation of a social contract, anything goes. A person can do whatever they want in the state of nature, but after contracts are established, people are expected to keep promises and to cooperate with each other, while the ability to act as one pleases is impossible, stability is ensured. Moreover, Hobbes claims that people are never justified in rebelling against the government, regardless of how ineffective it is, because it is the only

Human nature is a topic that has been on the minds of philosophers for years. Thomas Hobbes was of the belief that men are naturally evil and in order to control their nature they must enter into a Social Contract. This essay will explore Hobbes’ thoughts on human nature in order to explain why a Social Contract in necessary. It will also look into how men enter into this contract and explore the nature and legitimacy of state authority along with my criticism of Hobbes’ Social Contract theory.

The social contract theory focuses on the origin of states and laws, and the impact of regulated communities or states on individuals. All conceptions of the social contract theory can be harmonized to the individual desire for safety or security and the demand for fulfillment through a collective agreement which transforms the human dimension into an organized society from the primordial state. Rousseau was the first philosopher to coin the social contract terminology despite it being recognized in some Greek philosophers’ works. Thomas Hobbes, however, is widely acknowledged as the founder of the social contract theory within western philosophy (Baird, 2011). As a result, the theories of Rousseau and Locke can be regarded, to some extent, to be based on the disquisitions of Hobbes. Conversely, Locke and Rousseau have transformed the concept of Hobbes to align with their perspectives on society and human nature. Hobbes and Rousseau have significant similarities and differences in their similarities conceptions regarding the social contract theory.

The Social Contract theory has been debated by many different key thinkers and philosophers throughout the ages. Individuals such as Socrates, Rousseau and many others put forth a valiant effort in attempting to describe what that definition means to them. However, the two individuals focused on in this essay are well-known in this category of thinking. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes both verbalize their contrasting viewpoints and beliefs when it comes to the social contract theory, but they seem to disagree on many different issues that lie within the realm of this topic such as the state of nature, certain laws of nature and even their views on war and peacetime. Although they differ on many of these key details in their philosophies, one of the biggest distinctions between the two is their reasoning why governments are necessary. To Hobbes, it’s purely for self-preservation or staying alive, while Locke believes the government is only necessary for the preservation of property, as well as life and liberty.

Human rights protect us against the actions of those who employ power over us and help us to create a world in which we can all reach our full potential as human beings. Thomas Hobbes discusses his many ideas on human nature and the role of ethics. Hobbes’ political and social philosophy is shown through his social contract theory. This means that all people will have an agreement with the government for certain protections, freedom and well-being. With Hobbes’ social contract theory, people are willing to give up a certain amount of their freedom in order to receive benefits from the government. Humans will give up all their rights, finding a way to work together, agreeing on rules together to govern their interactions. According to Hobbes, this is the foundation in all societies around the world. Thomas Hobbes believed that in order to succeed and to live a life we want, we need a collective, undisturbed social order.