Social Contract Theory And The Notion Of Equality

The present United States political system is instituted on the impression of communal agreement concept. The method suggests that political power enjoyed by states is vested on upon people and thus have a choice to withhold or give the power. The term is far traced back to the writing of the greatest Greek philosopher Plato. Later the idea was expounded by other philosophers. The modern social theory is strongly linked with the political and moral philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, who first defends it.

Later, John Locke followed by Jean-Jacques – Rousseau who are best known for their influence in the most predominant theory regarding political and moral philosophy in the history of the modern west. However, contemporary philosophers have a different perspective regarding the moral and political lives of the today’s society consisting of different classes of people. Philosopher explains in detail the reasons for abandoning the state of nature and the formation of civil society, the type of government formed, and the people responsible for the execution of power.

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Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher, argues that in early human history, governments never existed. Instead, the weaker was ruled by the strongest by taking power at any time and executing control over them. Hobbes's theory further asserts that much power was created from a mutual agreement of people. Unfortunately, the state end up depriving citizens their freedom and rights vested in the constitution. Hobbes describes human life to be short, brutish, and nasty due to the non-existence of higher authority to impose orders; hence the people are equally vulnerable and at a glance of experiencing timely danger from each other (Voigt, 2018).

John Locke and Jean Rousseau offer different views concerning the social contract theory and help to explain in detail the forms of government advocated by the people, the formation and government-supported for, the purpose of the government. The people were entrusted and legible to govern the created state. The anarchic system grew out of a social contract. The competition created among states acted upon their self-interest first. Thus bound to conflict due to a lack of sovereign overstate. The works by Hobbes serves as a basis for the international theories on realism.

In contrast with Hobbes, Rousseau offers a different explanation of social contrast theory. Rousseau disregards Hobbes remarks that portray human's miserable state of nature, instead affirms humans as free and happy beings. In various writings, Rousseau suggests the British as the most open people in the world without proving their demonstrative system of governance. He further maintains that the rise of a great leader contributes significantly to change in the people's customs and norms through the use of religion hence founding a decent society (Inoguchi and Lien, 2020). Rousseau's collectivism is more predominant. Rousseau suggests that a citizen first must subordinate to the set regulations by the fellow citizens before pursuing genuine self-interest. Man's better nature, however, has been corrupted by society and its institutions over time. According to jean, man is born free but connected everywhere. A government is legitimate when it reflects the general will, collective opinion of the people. Therefore every government should be organized in a manner to reflect the people's views.

Rousseau has two distinct social contract theories. The first theory concerns the foundation and origin of equality among human beings. In contrast, the second account entails political and moral evolution of human beings over the years to the present modern society. The second account serves involves idealized and normative aspects that help to relieve problems created by contemporary society. The two reports lead to a consistent view of political and moral situations. Conditional social history has corrupted human nature, despite the endowment of equality and freedom. Political Reconstitution and invoking of free will is better for overcoming corruption along resolute principles of democracies is healthy for us individuals and collectively.

There ought to be a distinct understanding when Rousseau suggests that man must be free since majority helps to make decision on behalf of other members of society. Therefore collective decisions ought to given attention in the event the subjects disobey the law. Criminal law, a part of the enforcement regulation, does not concern specific individuals rather those against the confines of the law and the set agreement of containment in case of the disrespect of the formulated rule (Hoffman, Saul and Belle, 2018). The restrains of civil freedom represents by-laws made in civic humanity set up. Social contrast theory also analyzes Rousseau’s ideas of management risks; thus, the origin of a country is seen as mutual insurance.

John Locke takes a middle position concerning how human beings relate to nature. According to Locke, man is neither hostile nor selfless. When dealing with an individual's right to property, liberty, life, and cooperation benefits, Property and individualism rights are more emphasized by Locke's theory of government (Inoguchi and Lien, 2020). With more emphasis on property rights defense, opportunity, legal and political equality, Locke stands out as a purest classical theory expositor. His theory helps to describe the origins of American State, based on limited government and individual rights principles. Locke stresses the idea that people are inherently free in a state of nature, and individuals play a significant role. He meant that people should be able to order their actions, freely disposes of their persons and Property as they wish but within the constriction of nature laws. Locke depicts the fact that people are not royal subjects as they willingly offer central authority the power to decide on whether an individual has gone against the laws of nature and the possible punishment to be imposed.

Locke advocates for absolute despotism rate and less interested in the type of government, whether republic, aristocracy, and monarchy types, as long as the fundamental rights of their material possessions, liberty and life are provided and protected by the government. According to the Locke, revolution is an obligation when a government fails to protect the individuals' rights. The brutality of the state of nature necessitates an absolute authority or system of government. The endurable state of life requires rational men to submit voluntarily to the comprehensive system of government as a means of escaping it. Locke's arguments on the social contract theory, the nature of human beings relationship to authority, and the state of life differ from one another. Locke takes a different method as opposed to the methodological approach of the rules of nature used by the majority of the social contract theorist. The democratic revolutions in the United States significantly impact the social contract ideas of Locke. For instance, there increased incidences of citizens revolting against their government as a result of the influence of earlier social contrast philosophers.

The present United States system of administration is a creation of the above-enlightened theorists who flourished between the seventeenth and eighteenth periods. The ideas of the philosopher Thomas Hobbes were contrary to the governing principles of America. For instance, his belief in absolute power in by the government over its subjects and the ideas of natural liberties, equality, and social contracts inspired the declaration of constitution and independence in the United States, thus the lathers adoption in the government philosophy after a civil war friend, (celeste, 2020). According to the disclosure of freedom in America, all humans are endowed with certain unalienable rights and are created equal. Thomas Hobbes significantly advocates the ideas of natural liberty. Hobbes believes that the citizen of a given regime had the authority to protect themselves against or over through if the government if it no longer supports them. The main concept leading to the affirmation and establishment of liberation in America, mainly concern natural liberties discussed in the social contrast theory. Hobbes's administration's fewer worlds are even more disadvantageous.

The fact that the people are inherently equal makes life more complicated and terrible as no individual will ever rise above another. The American evolves and thrives alongside the concept of equality that Hobbes thought should be safeguarded. The cornerstone of governing principles lies upon the instinct and tendency towards self- preservation. In the pursuit of happiness, in America, every citizen is eligible to freedom and life. According to the United States, the post-war constitution depriving a person's life by state is forbidden without following a due process.

Works cited

friend, celeste. 'Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia Of Philosophy'. Iep.Utm.Edu, 2020, https://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/.
Hoffman, August John, Saul Alamilla, and Belle Liang. 'The Social Contract Theory Revisited: Examining the Relationship Between Greed, Conflict, and the Evolution of Cooperation.' The Role of Community Development in Reducing Extremism and Ethnic Conflict. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 135-153.
Inoguchi, Takashi, and Lien Thi Quynh Le. 'Global Social Contract Theory.' The Development of Global Legislative Politics. Springer, Singapore, 2020. 9-23.
Voigt, Stefan. 'Contracting for Catastrophe: Legitimizing Emergency Constitutions by Drawing on Social Contract Theory.' Available at SSRN 3288664 (2018).