The Role of Social Contract in Western Political Theory - Essay Example

The Role of Social Contract in Western Political Theory Affiliation Introduction Social contract is based on the philosophy that human beings’ moral and political obligations are dependent on the contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The most famous proponents of the social contract theory are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The concept of social contract asserts that people come together to form political societies through a mutual understanding which is governed by a set of norms and rules in order to protect themselves from violence as well as other from harm posed by each other in the society (Huttegger & Smead 2011, p. 17). Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau talk about the social contract because man lived in a State of Nature and the social contract serves as the gateway to the civil society. It is important to note that three philosophers have their distinct view of the state of nature and have made their contribution to the social contract theory, but all share these principles. The existence of the state was for the main purpose of serving the people in the society. The only source of government power was the people The people have the freedom to withhold as well as give power of the government The government, individual as well as popular or sovereignty rights were limited in the document bearing the social contract. The social contract theory by Thomas Hobbes deviated from the above views which were major proponents of theories by John Locke and Rousseau hugely influenced by his views on the state of nature (Markfield 2006, p.35). Hobbes advanced for a more power vested in the government because of his views that humans are generally selfish seen in salvage in the state of nature before civilization or civil society The main aim for this essay paper is to address the question of what is the role of social contract in western political theory. The objective of this essay paper is to list each role of a social contract and give an in-depth explanation as to how it is a role in relation to the western theory of politics. It will give a brief introduction and understanding of the theory of western politics. Role of the Social Contract The theory of social contract originates from the concept that the society needs just as well as the need for a just people (Huttegger and Smead 2011, p.15). With a keen look at the works of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, this essay paper intends to give a clear perspective on the role of social contract in western political theory. The basic understanding of a social contract is to create a voluntary contract. This contract helps the society to shift from a state of nature to a state of civilization. The term “state of nature” is similar to the operating of the animal kingdom. It is important to note that the security of a person is very much dependent on the person’s power. The following are some of the roles of social contract in western political theory: Inclusiveness of the People Social contract strives to provide a society that is inclusive of everybody. According to Thomas Hobbes, political authority requires to be set on the single authority that most people agree on. But with a legitimate government which is a result of a social contract, the chances of human beings getting into a conflict over resources are limited. This is because according to Hobbes, the state of nature is unbearable because every person is in fear of losing his life to another (Markfield 2006,p. 89). In the state of nature man has no capacity to ensure long term satisfaction of desire and needs. Due to the constant state of perpetual and unavoidable war, the social contract is a necessity. With lack of inclusiveness, Locke says it is normal to abandon or reject a government and go back to the state of nature and form another civil society better than the one rejected Fairness in the Society For most proponents of social contract, majority of the theorists tend to create a framework which is very fair unlike the existing societies (Rousseau 2004, p. 15). Rousseau says that all human beings are equal and the only way to have authority is only through agreements in a covenant to govern. The contract involves a social pact where people of the same interest come together to form a society. A social contract has the ability to bring fairness in the society as a result of people operating the contract and having a goal of working for a society that is free of harm or inequality for all persons. John Rawls argued that the working of a social contract involves a situation where individuals in the society desire to live without negative political, social or economic issues. Therefore, there is a need among the people to live in a society where everyone is equal to each under a social contract. The Presence of a Legitimate Government A social contract enables the people to get a legitimate form of government. The main role of a social contract is to make sure a government could be agreed upon by all citizens to avoid all types of civil wars or tyrannies. The first part of the social contract, according to Hobbes, is the individual renouncing the rights they had against each other in the state of nature. The second part of the contract by Hobbes is to establish a person or assembly of people with authority to enforce the first part of the contract (Markfield 2006, p. 109). This paved the way for formation of government as the only authority to own machinery of violence. Property Rights of the people The main reason why people should leave the state nature, according to Lock, is because when war begins it may never end. War may be brought by a man stealing from another or trying to make the other slave. It is part of the contract by the government to protect private property. He says when one joins the contract, he gives up the right to protect oneself and punish the transgressors of the law of nature to the government. The social contract has a critical role in ensuring all the people’s property is controlled by the state. But this control is done through the rights of the person who is in direct ownership of the goods or properties and after that person has communicated to the government or the state (Kimmel et al. 2011, p. 14). Ownership of property such as land has proved to be very delicate as well as contentious. Therefore, a social contract gives a clear guideline on ownership or transfer of the goods within the community. Need for Citizen Participation, Not Representation A social contract is all about the people being part of the government and all the activities of governing since they are the source of the government power. It is important to note that the people always have a desire to do and achieve what is right (Kimmel et al. 2011, p. 19). Rousseau words that all humans are equal and the only way to govern is through agreements in a covenant to govern (Rousseau, p. 103). A social contract has the role of making sure that the people are involved in development and decision making by the government. Western politics have proved this to be profoundly true as there is a correlation between participation and development in the society. Participation gives the people a sense of ownership and belonging and therefore leads to responsibility. The Presence Sovereignty and Civil Religion Every citizen in a country is entitled to have and exercise the right to follow his or her religion. In normal situations under a social contract, the government is not allowed to oblige anyone to believe or follow a particular faith but only gives a framework for everyone to follow a religion of their choice only if the religion does pose a threat to the other members of the society (Rousseau, p. 67). The Role of Social Contract in Respecting the Will of both the General Public and the Individual Locke says that individuals do anything that one pleases, or even anything that one judges to be in one’s interest. But people should not treat each other with harm in term of health, liberty or possession in the process. Each individual in the society has a particular need that will always be different for the will of another individual in the same society. This implies that the interest of one person will give a perspective of that particular person, which is different from the interest of the whole society. Promoting Indivisible Sovereignty among the people The general will of the people alone can lead forces of the government to achieve the aim or goal of its formation. A will of the society forms the whole body of the people. But the people need to first express their will words and then do acts of sovereignty. A social contract helps in facilitating this process and the actions of sovereignty become a law eventually (Nussbaum 2004, p. 5). Promoting Consent of the Governed The presence of a social contract enhances the formation of a government on the basis of consent of the people. It has been argued that consent of the governed forms an ideal foundation by which the government is established (Kimmel et al. 2001, p. 12). This has been proved as such in most of the western political democracies; for instance, in the case there is an existing original contract by which the people have some power reserved. In the event they find themselves aggrieved by an existing government, they can replace the government. A social contract ensures the inclusion of the people’s consent in the formation of a government. This role of a social contract has been proved to be one of the best and most sacred of any. Locke wrote his work on social contract in Treatise on Government arguing against the Divine Right of Kings that power rests with the people. Voluntarism Just like all normal contracts, is cannot be effected unless valid until all the parties involved have come into an agreement voluntarily without coercion (Nussbaum 2004, p. 13). Similarly, a social contract is not supposed to be used as justification for governmental actions like unfair taxation. This is so because the government will end up initiating force against an individual who fails to enter into such a contract. Therefore, a social contract helps in ensuring all other agreements or contracts between the government and the governed are legitimate through voluntary participation of both parties. Conclusion The contemporary Western society is in a state of a contractual thinking. The idea and role of the theory of social contract is not new to society and in the past has been used several times (Rousseau, p. 15). Basically, the idea is that people live in complete independence with the ability to choose freely to make a closed society that has got rules and norms. Some take such a story literally, but many regard it as a "useful fiction" – not something which is literally true, but rather a helpful way to understand how society works and how individuals in society should be treated. However, if there was never a literal social contract, the usefulness of this fiction may be very limited (Rousseau, p. 15). We should imagine that we will join society without knowing what class, race, or other social group we will belong to. In this way, the "social contract" we create will be the most equitable possible (Markfield 2006, p. 76). References Huttegger, S and Smead, R 2011, Efficient social contracts and group selection, Biology & Philosophy, 26, 4, pp. 517-531, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 March 2012. Kimmel, A, Smith, N & Klein, J 2011, Ethical decision making and research deception in the behavioral sciences: an application of social contract theory, Ethics & Behavior, 21, 3, pp. 222-251, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 March 2012. Nussbaum, MC 2004, Beyond the social contract: capabilities and global justice, Oxford Development Studies, 32, 1, p. 0, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 March 2012. Markfield, J 2006, The social contract theorists’ critical essays on Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, Md. Rousseau, J 2004, The social contract or principles of political right, Kessinger Publishing. Rousseau, J 2008, The Social contract, Cosimo, Inc. Read More