Coexistence of Equality and Inequality under the Social Contract

Political theories abound, considering many parts of society and the body politic. John Locke was one of the first to expound on the origins of property, and sixty-six years later Jean-Jacques Rousseau would also address the issues of property and inequality. According to Locke and Rousseau, the social contract is sanctioned by formal equalities yet creates or gives way to inequalities after it is formed. Though Locke would argue that inequalities in the private sphere don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the government, Rousseau would say justice gets deformed through inequality. Understanding how both equality and inequality can be present under the terms of the social contract is important because we cannot understand how to minimize inequalities if we do not first understand how they originated (origin). Inequality and equality can coexist under the terms of the social contract because the contract was formed under the influence of specious reasons with only an illusion of political equality.

When considering the differences between Rousseau’s and Locke’s perspective on property, the origins of social contracts, and equality and inequality within civil society, we must first look at how they approach this topic. Locke approaches this from an ahistorical perspective, meaning that the state of nature Locke describes never actually existed. Locke’s idea that natural rights were bestowed upon men by God is theoretically true. (quote or one more Locke sentence would be nice). Rousseau, however, approaches the issue from a historical context and claims that things have changed over time and therefore can change again. Locke naturalizes the process and makes it appear to be of necessity, while Rousseau analyzes the histori...

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...ll who participate in politics are equal. This was definitely true of Locke’s time, but meant that those who made up civil society were white men; women, people of color, and the poor didn’t have a chance to be included in the realm of civil society. Both inequality and equality coexist under the terms of the social contract because the contract was created with equal governance that perpetuated inequality.

Works Cited

Locke, John. “Letter Concerning Toleration.” Morgan 777-802.

Locke, John. “Second Treatise of Government.” Morgan 712-776.

Morgan, Michael L., ed. Classics of Moral and Political Theory. 5th ed. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2011. Print.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men.” Morgan 828-881.

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “On the Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right.” Morgan 882-941.