Question

(Introduction to Psychology)

Does social contract theory assume that if there were no government, then people would be unconnected individuals? Is this assumption correct?

300 words

Answer 1

Social Contract Theory:

Social Contract Theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behaviour. Some people believe that if we live according to a social contract we can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it. Thomas Hobbes proposed that a society without rules and laws to govern our actions would be a dreadful place to live. Social contracts can be explicit such as laws or implicit such as raising one's hand in class to speak

The social contract is unwritten and is inherited at birth. It indicates that if we will not break loss or certain moral codes and in exchange we reap the benefits of our society namely security, survival, education and other necessities needed to live. the main reasons why we should follow the government rules in a society are are

1. the harm principle :to prevent the serious physical assault against others that would be victimized,

2. the offence principle: to prevent behaviour that would offend those who might otherwise be victimized,

3. legal paternalism: to prevent some against everyone in general with regulations

4. Legal moralism: to preventing Immoral activities such as prostitutions and gambling

5. benefits to others: to prevent actions that are detrimental to a segment of population

problems with the social contract theory includes the following:

1. it gives the government too much power to make laws under the guise of protecting the public. governments may use the cloak of the social contract to invoke the fear of a state of nature to warrant laws that are intrusive.

2. if we do not accept the contract and wish to abide by it we may not fully understand what our part of the contract is or ought. to be.

3. contract can be unfair for some for example the poor do not get the same benefits of the contract .