The Social Contract Theory Of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau - Essay Example

The Social Contract of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau Introduction The social contract is at theory that tries toexplain how the society originates as well as try to explain the presumed relationship between its members, how they acquire the responsibilities as well as their rights. It states that members of the society are accorded certain rights as a result of them giving up certain freedoms they can posses in the state of nature. The theory explains that the society enforces the rights and responsibilities that are borne by its members.

Since these rights are not fixed and they are not natural, then it is possible for them to be altered should the society’s members decide to. It however states that exercising additional rights will entail bearing additional responsibilities while exercising fewer responsibilities will entail fewer rights.Political and Social Power in terms of Authority and legitimacyAuthority is the power invested government or body of government officials in order to enforce laws, command, determine, judge or even exact obedience.

On the other hand, legitimacy is the popular acceptance of an authority by a system of governance. Political legitimacy is considered as the main reason for governing. When excising authority a decision made by an individual who has a high rank in the political arena or social sphere, it is expected that people will abide by it irrespective of whether the decision was understood by the society members. For example, a priest has a religious authority over the congregation.On the other hand, legitimate authority is where a government or ruler governs not solely because by threats of punishment but because subjects are willing to obey the commandsSocial ContractSocial contract is an agreement done among members of a certain organized society or a government and the governed whereby the government defines and limits the rights and duties of each member of the government.

For example in our country, there is a social contract between the governed and the government whereby the governed contribute some money to a government institution in exchange for treatment of a disease or accident.Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau interpretation of social contractParties to the contract and what is to be exchangedHobbes believed that the state existed in order to serve the will of the people who can choose to give power to or with hold political power. In this scenario, parties to the contract are the government and the people.

Locke contradicted the ideas of Hobbes by arguing that the state was formed as a result social contract because in the state of nature, each individual judged themselves and there was no protection against those living outside the law of nature thereby suggesting that the state be guided by natural law. Rousseau states that civil society has not done anything in order to enforce the equality and individual liberty that was promised to mankind thereby suggesting that the only legitimate political authority is the one consented to by all people, who have agreed to the government by entering into the contract for the sake of their mutual preservation.

Locke and Hobbes presented opposing opinions among themselves. Hobbes argued that a revolution is justified when the state of nature is brutal thereby the need to have a new strong king. On the other hand, Locke argued that state of nature was good and that it was the people who were supposed to do as much to the governments in comparison to how they do to themselves in order for the government not to be dismantled. Rousseau argued that the formation of the general will to reason, morality, imagination and memory may necessitate a revolution.