The Theory Of Social Contract Theory - 2326 Words

Social Contract Brian Horvath Cleveland State University Business Society Government The concept of social contract theory is that in the beginning man lived in the state of nature. They had no government and there was now law to regulate them. There are three main philosophers Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau that are best known for the social contract theory. In the twentieth century moral and political theory with John Rawls’ Kantian version of social contract theory and was then followed by David Gaunthier. Feminists and race conscious philosophers have argued that social contract theory is an incomplete picture of our moral and political lives. Thomas Hobbes political theory is best understood†¦show more content†¦Another is Hobbes argues is that humans are not only self-interested but they are reasonable; he believes people have it in them to be rational when they pursue their desires. Rationality is an instrument that sums up the best means to whatever ends we might happen to have. As we learned Hobbes believes men are natur ally self-interested and also rational so then this means they will listen to the authority of a Sovereign this way they can live in a civil society that shares a common interests with them. An argument he uses for this is the State of Nature of men. State of nature is when men are only self-interested so they are more or less equal to one another. Hobbes believes that in a society that runs off a State of Nature would be brutal to live in, because everyone is always in fear of losing their life to another person in this state. Since men are reasonable they can find their way out of this society by recognizing the laws of nature. The laws of nature can show people in a harsh society the means it takes to escape a State of Nature society and create a civil society. The most important thing to understand when talking about the laws of nature is that everyone must be willing to pursue peace while also continuing the right to pursue war only when others do not pursue peace. Being