The Social Contract Theory

The social contract was first discussed by Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes was the foremost British philosopher of the 17th century. Hobbes explained what he called “the state of nature.” Now, to understand the state of nature, you first need to think of what life would be like if there were no way to enforce social rules, if there were no laws, police, or courts. This is what the state of nature would be.

Everybody needs the same basic things, but because there are not enough of them to go around, everybody would end up competing for them. Hobbes says that “the state of nature” would be a constant state of war. “In the state of nature, it is every man for himself; it would be foolish for anyone to look out for others and put his own self interests in jeopardy. But in society, altruism becomes possible.” (Rachels 82)

This is where the social contract comes into play; the only way for a society to run successfully is if people agree on rules to govern their actions. The social contract requires one to set aside their self-centered desires, and agree upon rules that benefit everyone as a whole. The essence of the “contract” is that everyone agrees to do the same thing and act in the same ways. In the sense of the social contract, “morality consists in the set of rules, governing behavior, which rational people will accept, on the condition that others accept them as well.” (Rachels 83)

Thomas Hobbes was the first to discuss the social contract theory; Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) later dissected it more. In 1762, Rousseau wrote The Social Contract in which he discusses his idea of the “voice of duty” for man, requiring us to put aside being self-centered in favor of rules that benefit everyone, in turn are only able to do this because they agree to the same.