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The Social Contract Theory: Origin Of Societies And Governments

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The Social Contract Theory
In the subject of political philosophy, social contract refers to a theory that explains the origin of the society and the origin of the legitimate authority that is granted to a state over an individual. Social contract argues that there exists some form of agreement whether enforced or willingly for individuals to surrender certain freedoms to the state to take control over so as to bring forth common benefits. In other words, the social contract theory seeks to explain the origin of societies and governments. There exist numerous proponents of this theory who include Thomas Hobbes and Hugo Grotius among others. Hobbes argued that the idea of social contract arose from pure self interest. As in any other type of …show more content…

In simple terms, classical liberalism is a theory of liberty. Philosophers who supported this theory included Adam Smith, John Locke and Thomas Malthus among others. Smith insisted on a free economy that is controlled by forces of nature. He argued that, the natural forces of demand and supply can yield maximum economic benefits. While Smith’s argument was based on economic terms, Locke argued in the line of individual rights. Locke advocated for authority that came from within and not from the state. In such, he stated that individuals ought to be let free to choose their religion and establish wealth without having the state interference (Goodman, …show more content…

Marx was later supported by a fellow German philosopher known as Friedrich Engles. This theory has influenced numerous movements in the past. It includes a sociological theory, revolutionary view of social change, philosophical method and the economic theory. Marxism acts as an eye opener to understanding the complexity of the society, struggles within social classes, economics and politics. Therefore, this acts as an empowerment for people to strive and go beyond the traditional believes of ignorance (Karl Marx and Marxism, n.d).
Communitrianism theory is a philosophical theory that bases focus on lowering the focus on individual freedom and rights while putting pressure on communal responsibilities. In this case, the definition of a community refers to a group of people such as a family, church, political group or state. This theory is based on three principles which are co-operative validation of any information, co-operative validation of values and equal participation and access to power in the society. This theory was supported by numerous philosophers who include Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Robert Owen and Henry tam among

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Locke also wrote, “But though men, when they enter into society, give up the equality, liberty, and executive power they had in the state of nature, into the hands of the society, to be so far disposed of by the legislative, as the

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The social contract in John Locke’s declaration is the State of Nature. The natural condition of mankind is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one’s life as one best sees fit. Locke’s social contract is best described as freedom from the interference of others in one’s life. The State of Nature is pre-political, but it is not pre-moral by today’s standards. Another social contract from Locke is the Law of Nature.

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When trying to define a word such as Liberalism it seems difficult to find a solid definition. There are different forms of liberalism and different meanings depending on the time period it is being applied to (idea taken from Phil Badger author from philosophynow). To solve this ambiguity, I’ve decided to define liberalism based on the time period in which I will be conducting my research. Liberalism in the 1700s was the belief of freedom and equals rights generally associated with the enlightenment thinkers, John Locke and Montesquieu (as defined by wikipedia.org). Liberalism didn’t start in the 1700s.

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1) Classical Liberalism is a concept that dates back to the Enlightenment era and is based on the ideals of individual liberty, limited government, and free-market economics. According to this idea, people ought to be free to pursue their interests without intervention from the government. On the other had, being considered a Liberal on the U.S political septum today typically refers to someone who supports progressive policies such as increased government intervention in economic matters, greater welfare spending, social justice initiatives, and more expansive civil rights legislation. While classical liberals may support some of these ideas, they are typically more wary of government control than modern liberals are. Ultimately, both labels

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Contracts not only exist between the business side of the world, but also between the social side. The social contract is the idea that sets morality as a compromise agreement that results in social benefits for all. I do believe the social contract exists in the world we live in. Whether it comes to a basic promise between friends to an agreement between partners in crime. However, the social contract seeks out to benefit equally between both parties of the agreement which ensures society will act according with their contract in a political and social setting.

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Both social contract philosophers defended different views about moral and political obligations of men living in the state of nature stripped of their social characters. The state of nature illustrates how human beings acted prior to entering into civil society and becoming social beings living under common legitimacy. The state of nature is to be illustrated as a hypothetical device to explain political importance in the society. Thomas Hobbes, propounded politics and morality in his concept of the state

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My understanding of the Social Contract Theory is this: This theory came about during the Age of Enlightenment. I could think of some enlightenment situations at work and with the current political campaign. But social contract brings up the questions about the origin of each society and if it’s even legitimate or not. So the social contract theory basically challenges this theory and the truths behind the morals on which the individuals or the leaders stand on.

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These moral theories help me figure out what is right versus wrong and who I am and what I believe today in this society. Knowing between right and wrong is a moral foundation for me to practice good ethics. The life I lead reflects the strength of my character. Moral theories that I personally favor are social contract theory, feminist ethics, and virtue ethics. Social contract theory and the political world are one that impacts nearly every aspect of my day to day life.

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First of all, the social contract theory, is the view that persons ' moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. This means that in order to live in a good society people must follow established rules and not act on their own natural state. This social contract theory is associated with modern moral and political theory and is given its by Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the best known proponents of this enormously influential theory. A little bit of background of Thomas Hobbes, he born in 1588 and died in 1679,he also lived during the most crucial period of early modern England 's history.

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Holly Kinsella 13528163 Q.2 Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim developed very different sociological theories of how society evolves over time. Marx brought around the conflict theory and became the head of the sociological discipline of Marxism. Durkheim was a French Functionalist, meaning he looked at society in a scientific way. Although Marx and Durkheim had different ways of thinking about society, both have contributed significantly to the way we study sociology today. Karl Marx was a German philosopher who became the head of the sociological discipline of Marxism.

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Locke's most important and influential political writings are contained in his Two Treatises on Government. The first treatise is concerned almost exclusively with refuting the argument that political authority was derived from religious authority. The second treatise contains Locke’s own constructive view of the aims and justification for civil government. According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and complete liberty to conduct one's life as one best sees fit, free from the interference of others. This does not mean, however, that it is a state of license: one is not free to do anything at all one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in one’s interest.

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Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have become known as three of the most prominent political theorists in the world today. Their philosophies and innovative thinking is known worldwide and it has influenced the creation of numerous new governments. All three thinkers agree on the idea of a social contract but their opinions differ on how the social contract is established and implemented within each society. These philosophers state, that in order for the social contract to be successful people need to give up certain freedoms in order to secure fundamental protections from the state, henceforth the state then has certain responsibilities to their citizens. Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau all believe that before men were governed we all lived in a state of nature.

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Marxism and feminism are two sides of a coin. Encarta reference library defines Marxism as “a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in western societies”. Feminism is defined as a recognition and critique of male supremacy combined with efforts to change it. Marxism is an economic and social system.

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Rhetorical Resources hidden in “I Have a Dream” Speech In making an analysis of the rhetorical resources of a work, the great majority of literature teachers use the classics. However, there are other texts that can be analyzed with the same relevance as the texts of Shakespeare. In this case, I mean the speech "I Have a Dream," which has different resources and techniques that can be considered in the literature program of schools.

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Introduction Communitarianism emphasizes the need to balance individual rights and interests with that of the community as a whole, and argues that individual people (or citizens) are shaped by the cultures and values of their communities. A theory or system of social organization based on small self-governing communities, an ideology which emphasizes the responsibility of the individual to the community and the social importance of the family unit. What is Communitarianism In the social theory commutity has always been a central theme and has had central and prominent place. There arise alot of problems out of the the theme of social theory for example; how do the individual make a collective whole?

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