> [!infobox] <s class="aside-in"><em>mentioned in 2 topics</em></s> #### <s class="topic-title">[[social contract theory]]</s> > [!wikipedia] [social contract theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social%20contract) > > In:: moral and political [[philosophy]], > the social contract is a theory or model that originated during the [[Age of Enlightenment]] and usually concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority (of the ruler, or to the decision of a majority) in exchange for protection of their remaining rights or maintenance of the [[social order]]. The term takes its name from a 1762 book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau that discussed this concept. Although the antecedents of social contract theory are found in antiquity, in Greek and Stoic philosophy and Roman and Canon Law, the heyday of the social contract was the mid-17th to early 19th centuries, when it emerged as the leading doctrine of political legitimacy. > > The central assertion that social contract theory approaches is that law and political order are not natural, but human creations. The social contract and the political order it creates are simply the means towards an end—the benefit of the individuals involved—and legitimate only to the extent that they fulfill their part of the agreement. [[Hobbes]] argued that government is not a party to the original contract and citizens are not obligated to submit to the government when it is too weak to act effectively to suppress factionalism and civil unrest. According to other social contract theorists, when the government fails to secure their natural rights ([[Locke]]) or satisfy the best interests of society (called the "general will" by [[Rousseau]]), citizens can withdraw their obligation to obey or change the leadership through elections or other means including, when necessary, [[violence]]. Locke believed that natural rights were inalienable, and therefore the rule of God superseded [[government]] authority, while Rousseau believed that [[democracy]] (majority-rule) was the best way to ensure welfare while maintaining individual freedom under the rule of law. The Lockean concept of the social contract was invoked in the United States Declaration of Independence. Social contract theories were eclipsed in the 19th century in favor of [[utilitarianism]], [[Hegelianism]] and [[Marxism]]; they were revived in the 20th century, notably in the form of a thought experiment by John Rawls. > ##### ^dataviews > [!dataview]+ Related unlinked notes > > No results to show for list query. > [!dataview]- Other unlinked mentions > > - [[natural law]]