Social Contract Theory Flashcards
1
Q
Thomas Hobbes
A
- Man’s life in the State of Nature was one of fear and selfishness.
- Man has a natural desire for security and order so they entered into a contract.
- To achieve self-preservation and self-protection they voluntarily surrendered all rights to some authority.
- The mightiest authority is to protect and preserve their lives and property.
2
Q
John Locke
A
- State of Nature was considered a “Golden Age” because it was good and enjoyable although property was not secure.
- Private property is created when one mixes his labour with the raw materials of nature.
- One is not allowed to take more from nature than oneself can use.
- Man felt the need to protect their property so entered into the “Social Contract”.
- Man surrendered only the right to preserve/maintain order and enforce the law of nature to a single individual.
- Purpose of Government is to uphold and protect the natural rights of men
- Life, Liberty and Property were Locke’s three cardinal rights.
3
Q
Jean Jacques Rousseau
A
- Social contract is not a historical fact but a hypothetical construction of reason.
- Life in the State of Nature was happy and there was equality among men.
- As population increased, the means by which people could satisfy their needs had to change.
- Divisions of labour were introduced and with them came public values.
- Private property was invented, which constituted the pivotal movement in humanity’s evolution.
- The invention of property constitutes humanity’s ‘fall from grace’ out of the State of Nature. For this purpose, they surrendered their rights to the community as a whole which Rousseau termed as “General Will”.
4
Q
Plato
A
- In a good society we all contribute to the good of the whole and we all get a share of the benefits of living in that society.
- We will live better if we all do the jobs that we are best suited to.
- Only a small amount of people have the character and intelligence to govern society well
- To be good governors “they ought to be dangerous to their enemies, and gentle to their friends; if not they will destroy themselves without waiting for their enemies to destroy them.
