Social Contract

Question 1

The State of Nature

Answer 1

Human life before the existence of an organised and structured society with institutions such as government and an organised justice system.

Question 2

Social Contract Theory

Answer 2

An implied agreement between the state and the populace, whereby the people hand over certain freedoms and agree to certain codes of conduct in exchange for protection and security.

Question 3

General Will

Answer 3

The will of the people as a whole

Question 4

Tacit Consent

Answer 4

Implicit agreement that one who benefits from society must accept its burdens

Question 5

Leviathon

Answer 5

Absolute ruler whose will must be followed

Question 6

Hobbe and Social Contract

Answer 6

His social contract involves anabsolute governmentthat does not rule byconsent, since in his view peoplecannot be trusted. He believed that even if the authority did not rule justly, we were still better off in that society than in the state of nature.

Question 7

Locke and Social Contract