Overview

Social Contract Theory is the view that moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live.

Core Idea

The core idea is that without rules, life would be a “state of nature” (often chaotic or violent). Therefore, rational people agree to give up some freedom to a sovereign or a set of rules in exchange for safety and order.

Formal Definition

Morality consists in the set of rules, governing behavior, that rational people will accept, on the condition that others accept them as well.

Intuition

  • Traffic Laws: We all agree to drive on the right side of the road. It limits my freedom (I can’t drive anywhere I want), but it keeps me safe. If I break the contract, I am punished.
  • The Playground: Kids agree “no hitting” so everyone can play safely.

Examples

  • Hobbes: The State of Nature is a “war of all against all.” Life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” We need an absolute dictator (Leviathan) to keep order.
  • Locke: We have natural rights (life, liberty, property). We form a government to protect these rights. If it fails, we can revolt (basis of the US Declaration of Independence).
  • Rawls: “Justice as Fairness.” We should design society from behind a “Veil of Ignorance,” not knowing if we will be rich or poor.

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: There was an actual historical meeting where everyone signed a paper.
    • Correction: It is a hypothetical consent. By living in society and accepting its benefits, you implicitly agree to the contract.
  • Misconception: It explains all morality.
    • Correction: It struggles to explain duties to those who can’t sign the contract (animals, future generations, the severely disabled).
  • State of Nature: The hypothetical condition of humanity before government.
  • Implicit Consent: Agreeing by staying.
  • Prisoner’s Dilemma: Game theory showing why rational agents might not cooperate without enforcement.

Applications

  • Constitution: A literal social contract.
  • Civil Disobedience: Breaking the law when the state has violated the contract (e.g., MLK).

Criticism and Limitations

  • The Free Rider: Why shouldn’t I cheat if I can get away with it? (The contract only works if enforced).
  • No Exit: It’s hard to “opt out” of the social contract if you are born into a state.

Further Reading

  • Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
  • Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
  • A Theory of Justice by John Rawls