| A B | According to the social contract theory, the contract is what? A constitution | What is the most threatened by the social contract theory? Divine right advocates | The decision to raise taxes is an example of what ? Public Policy | Politics is what? process |
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Problems with the social contract theory include the following:
It gives government too much power to make laws under the guise of protecting the public
. Specifically, governments may use the cloak of the social contract to invoke the fear of a state of nature to warrant laws that are intrusive.
Hobbes’s social contract theory serves double duty: as
(1) a political theory that justifies the existence of a government and (2) a moral theory that specifies our moral obligations.
Social contract theory says that
people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior
. 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.
For what reason might the rulers in a dictatorship feel threatened by the existence of the Internet?
For what reason might the ruler(s) in a dictatorship feel threatened by the existence of the Internet?
The Internet might provide a forum through which people could unite and rebel. The Internet might provide
a forum through which people could unite and rebel.
Although similar ideas can be traced to the Greek Sophists, social-contract theories had their greatest currency in the 17th and 18th centuries and are associated with the
English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke
and the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The social contract theory was proposed by Rousseau.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
was a Genevan rationalist, author, and arranger.
After
Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
are the best known proponents of this enormously influential theory, which has been one of the most dominant theories within moral and political theory throughout the history of the modern West.
Hobbes called this agreement the “social contract.” Hobbes believed
that a government headed by a king was the best form that the sovereign could take
. Placing all power in the hands of a king would mean more resolute and consistent exercise of political authority, Hobbes argued.
John Locke’s version of social contract theory is striking in saying that
the only right people give up in order to enter into civil society and its benefits is the right to punish other people for violating rights
. No other rights are given up, only the right to be a vigilante.
Rousseau’s central argument in The Social Contract is
that government attains its right to exist and to govern by “the consent of the governed
.” Today this may not seem too extreme an idea, but it was a radical position when The Social Contract was published.
Who has too much power under the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation created a Nation that was “a league of friendship and perpetual union,” but it was
the state governments
that had most of the power under the Articles, with little power given to the central government.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas of the social contract heavily influenced the American revolutionary generation. It was the
idea that government exists with consent of the governed that led the revolutionaries to break free of Britain
.
Who handled governmental matters in charter colonies?
*In the charter colonies, most governmental matters were handled by
the colonists
.
Hobbes theory of Social Contract
supports absolute sovereign without giving any value to individuals
, while Locke and Rousseau supports individual than the state or the government.
What did Thomas Hobbes believe in?
Throughout his life, Hobbes believed that
the only true and correct form of government was the absolute monarchy
. He argued this most forcefully in his landmark work, Leviathan. This belief stemmed from the central tenet of Hobbes’ natural philosophy that human beings are, at their core, selfish creatures.
Why is Locke better than Hobbes?
Hobbes was a proponent of Absolutism, a system which placed control of the state in the hands of a single individual, a monarch free from all forms of limitations or accountability. Locke, on the other hand,
favored a more open approach to state-building
.
When the British denied the colonists their natural, inalienable rights
, they broke the social contract. After that, the colonists believed it was their right to create a new government.
What did Hobbes and Locke agree on?
Locke and Hobbes agree on a variety of ideas such as the
non-divine origins of the political power
, the need for social contract and a government, equal rights and freedoms of all human beings, and the existence of an ultimate state of nature for human beings.
What is Locke’s theory?
Locke’s political theory was founded upon that of social contract. Unlike Thomas Hobbes, Locke believed
that human nature is characterised by reason and tolerance
. Like Hobbes, Locke believed that human nature allowed people to be selfish. This is apparent with the introduction of currency.
The idea of the social contract influenced the Founding Fathers. And this is
the idea of a voluntary relationship between the people and the government
. And the government has the responsibility to protect natural rights. The people have the right to abolish the social contract when the government does not keep to it.
Who was affected by the Declaration of Independence?
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the
13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain
.
What is Rousseau’s theory?
Rousseau believed modern man’s enslavement to his own needs was responsible for all sorts of societal ills, from exploitation and domination of others to poor self-esteem and depression. Rousseau believed that
good government must have the freedom of all its citizens
as its most fundamental objective.
Why did Rousseau reject Hobbes state of nature?
The state of nature in Rousseau
He vehemently criticized
Hobbes’s conception of a state of nature characterized by social antagonism
. The state of nature, Rousseau argued, could only mean a primitive state preceding socialization; it is thus devoid of social traits such as pride, envy, or even fear of others.
Rousseau states that there is no “right of the strongest
.” Strength itself only forces obedience through fear, but it cannot possibly “produce morality.” If “the strongest [were] always right,” the concept of “rights” would be meaningless: anyone who says it is right to “obey those in power” really means that people …
Which was the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce
. There was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress. There was no national court system. Amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote.
Who contributed most to the writing of the Constitution?
Contribution: Famously known as the “father of the Constitution”,
James Madison
was a driving force behind the convention. He came well prepared for all arguments against the creation of a new government.
What was the main concern of the rebels who carried out Shays Rebellion?
The main concern of the rebels who carried out Shays’ Rebellion was
to protest
: They were serving the United States abroad as ambassadors.
Who received the land grant for a proprietary colony?
Proprietary colonies in North America were owned by an individual proprietor or by a group of proprietors under a charter from the English monarch. The men who received these grants were called
Proprietary Governors or “Lords Proprietors”
.
Why were finances the greatest weakness of the Confederation government?
Why were finances the greatest weakness of the Confederation government?
Congress could not tax and this made it hard to pay for military services needed
.
What was the weakness of the Articles of Confederation quizlet?
A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was
that Congress could not tax
. Congress could only request that taxes be submitted. This is a big weakness because tax money IS needed to do things like fund a military and provide much-needed services for the country.
