State of Nature and Social Contract - 1323 Words

Hobbes and Locke are the founders of social contract theory, Hobbes’ Leviathan was the first political philosophy to discuss social contract theory and the state of nature followed by John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government, both of their theories are distinct form each other but yet related. Hobbes and lock are both considered the first classical liberals, they differed from other classical philosophers because of their individualistic society, rather than a communal society that promotes the moral way to live one’s life. According to classical liberalism the government should not promote morality, rather to only protect people’s rights to pursue their desires. They both believed that man was born free and equal, and has the right to choose who governs them. Hobbes believed in a minimalist government that promotes the rights of individuals to life and freedom of movements, while Locke also believes in an even more limited government that promotes life liberty and property. Lock and Hobbes differ in their conception of social contract but they both agreed on the central idea that in the state of nature people â€Å"would willingly come together to form a state†, but they disagreed over the government’s extent to implement order and liberty. Hobbes saw the sovereign as a beneficiary in a mutual agreement between the citizens, while Locke believed the sovereign himself is a party to the contract. Hobbes believed that the government must be very strong, to keep order and setShow MoreRelatedSocial Contract Theory And The Transition From State Of Nature1599 Words   |  7 PagesI’m going to discuss the Social Contract theory, and how the transition from State of Nature to government was considered a contract. Was there ever a timeframe when men lived outside of social orders and how was it? , How did men get away from that period and go into another time of social orders? Was it through power or shared understa nding? Once a type of government is picked or selected, who runs it and is the privileges of the individual safeguarded? Social contract hypothesis, almost as oldRead MoreThe Meaning Of Human Nature870 Words   |  4 PagesThe Meaning of Human Nature The social contract seems to be open to be an ideology that is left to interpretation by everyone that has either wrote or read about it based on their individual definitions of what it means to be in the state of nature. Throughout this course we began with Thomas Hobbes, whose beliefs seemed quite ridiculous at times, but his ideas about what it meant to be a person in the state of nature, were supported by what he believed to be true. Much like when Jean-Jacques RousseauRead MoreThe Social Contract : Hobbes Vs. Rousseau1457 Words   |  6 PagesThe Social Contract: Hobbes vs. Rousseau Since the beginning of the modern age, governments and states have existed in order to maintain moral law. Essentially these institutions are for the greater good of humanity. However, little thought is ever given to how humans lived without governments. Each and every person in the modern age is born into a state, and becomes a part of that state regardless of their will. The concept that humans are born into a state is derived from the social contract. TheRead MoreSocial Contract And The Civil Society979 Words   |  4 Pages The social contract and the push for individuals to enter it rely on some conception of a state of nature. Whilst the expected behaviour of persons in the state of nature differs among the social contract theorists, the classical writings all share one common feature, a â€Å"generalised potential for threat† from other persons (Dicus 2015, p. 105). However, the nature of this threat in the hypothetical state of nature is not verifiable, as is the transition to civil society. The â€Å"signing† of the socialRead MoreSocial Contract Theory On The Origin Of State1110 Words   |  5 PagesSOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY Introduction: The social contract theory is one of the oldest theories on the origin of state. This theory came into existence as a reaction against the divine origin theory. The term ‘social’ is something which is connected with the society, while ‘contract’ means an agreement between two or more people. Thus a term of political theory, ‘social contract’ implies an agreement that makes society possible .this theory holds that the state is the voluntary and deliberate agreementRead MoreThe Social Contract Theory1357 Words   |  5 PagesThe social contract theory is the belief that people live in a society with an unwritten and socially accepted contract for a relationship between the people and their government. The people follow certain rules to protect themselves from violence and the like. The government in turn enforces those rules. In the absence of a social contract, the state of nature exists which citizens actions are governed by personal morals and beliefs. In any social contract people vest their rights to the authorityRead MoreThomas Hobbes and John Lockes Varying Presentations of the Social Contract Theory1499 Words   |  6 Pagesand social contract theorists. Social Contract Theory is, â€Å"the hypothesis that one’s moral obligations are dependent upon an implicit agreement between individuals to form a society.† (IEP, Friend). Both Hobbes and Locke are primarily known for their works concerning political philosophy, namely Hobbes’ Leviathan and Locke’s Two Treatise of Government. Both works contain a different view of a State of Nature and lay out social contracts designed to neutralize the chaos inherent in that state. ThoughRead MoreThe Social Contract Theory Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pages1a. The Social Contract Theory According to the Social Contract Theory, it suggests that all individuals must depend on an agreement/ or contract among each person to form a society, in which they live in. The concept emphasizes authority over individuals, in other words, the social contract favors authority (e.g. the Sovereign) over the individuals, because men have to forfeit their personal right and freedom to the government, in exchange for protection and security, which I will further elaborateRead MoreRousseau Analysis Essay688 Words   |  3 PagesThe Social Contract In ancient times all men lived in a state of nature until hardships and the necessity to form a civil society between one another became eminent. Jean Jacques Rousseau’s â€Å"The Social Contract,† analyses the steps and reasoning behind this transition. In Rousseau’s work he focuses on several key terms in order to define this transition clearly, they include: state of nature, social contract, civil society, general will, and the sovereign. It would be impossible to define theRead MoreDifference Between Hobbes And Rousseau890 Words   |  4 Pagesand Social Thought Second Essay: Prompt 2 The social contracts of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau differ from each other due to divergent concepts of the state of nature. All three theories are therefore the products of highly differential ideas of how people instinctively behave. Hobbes, the first of these philosophers to theorize about such topics, believed that humans, while being innately equal with each other, are brutish, cruel, and power hungry. Social contracts are then