evaluation of John Locke's Social Contract Theory

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY Social Contract The Great Tradition of Contract Theory A Comparative View : Rousseau Hobbes Locke Problems and Criticisms : an Aspect of `Conservatism

FAQs What is it Why attractive When Why then

Rousseau Two social contracts Hobbes Covenant plus `authorisation Real unity of will A limited General will No `God ' but also no `people

Locke Contract restricted to right to punish Natural moral community Government as delegation and trust A liberal contract of `the people 'Social Contract Theory Within the social contract tradition , we are going to deal firstly with Rousseau then

to Hobbes and Locke . The reason for this is a theme in the comparisons Rousseau wants to enslave the government to the people and Hobbes wants to enslave the people to the government , whereas Locke just wants to let things flow until we can get together and have a rethink

What is it

Social contract theory is an account of social and political relationships presenting society or the state or both as the product of binding mutual undertakings , with the undertakings being made between individuals or between groups . The terms of the contract directly establish the rights and duties of the rulers and the ruled . Or they establish the procedures for setting such questions . Most of the famous examples of contract theory treat the contract as a hypothetical device most of the writers that we have encountered in social contract theory don 't pretend that anything like that happened as sometimes it is difficult to tell when...