Spring Break
Trust, base of the social contract
Scott Conover
Issue date: 8/6/08 Section: Forum
"The heart of the idea of the social contract may be stated simply: Each of us places his person and authority under the supreme direction of the general will, and the group receives each individual as an indivisible part of the whole..." - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "The Social Contract."
What is the social contract? It is often used in politically charged and inflammatory works and speeches. It is used to describe poor or corrupt public practices, as well as public obligations. But what is it, and what does it really mean in the context of everyday life? And most importantly, what are the implications when it is broken?
One way of looking at it is purely in the context of self-perseveration. In his work, "Principal Doctrines," Epicurus asserts, "Natural justice is a symbol or expression of usefulness, to prevent one person from harming or being harmed by another."
In this case, justice, as it occurs naturally, would be a way of preventing harm. When looked at in a larger context as regarding oneself and the surrounding persons, the social contract also applies to societies.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in "The Social Contract," goes further than Epicurus. Rousseau shows that we, as people, sacrifice our individual power - our personal whim - for the purposes of the general will, which represents what societies desire as a whole, rather than just one of its members.
In essence, it is an agreement to abide by common laws, rules and principles. Without such bindings, societies are just collectives of individuals acting of their own accord and their own desires. Without laws, there is no way to administrate and govern a populace, except through mass coercion.
By breaking the social contract, an individual proclaims that they are not subject to its bindings. Although it is certainly true that societies use coercion as a form of enforcing the social contract, the fact is that the social contract functions because the majority of people choose to obey it.
What is the social contract? It is often used in politically charged and inflammatory works and speeches. It is used to describe poor or corrupt public practices, as well as public obligations. But what is it, and what does it really mean in the context of everyday life? And most importantly, what are the implications when it is broken?
One way of looking at it is purely in the context of self-perseveration. In his work, "Principal Doctrines," Epicurus asserts, "Natural justice is a symbol or expression of usefulness, to prevent one person from harming or being harmed by another."
In this case, justice, as it occurs naturally, would be a way of preventing harm. When looked at in a larger context as regarding oneself and the surrounding persons, the social contract also applies to societies.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in "The Social Contract," goes further than Epicurus. Rousseau shows that we, as people, sacrifice our individual power - our personal whim - for the purposes of the general will, which represents what societies desire as a whole, rather than just one of its members.
In essence, it is an agreement to abide by common laws, rules and principles. Without such bindings, societies are just collectives of individuals acting of their own accord and their own desires. Without laws, there is no way to administrate and govern a populace, except through mass coercion.
By breaking the social contract, an individual proclaims that they are not subject to its bindings. Although it is certainly true that societies use coercion as a form of enforcing the social contract, the fact is that the social contract functions because the majority of people choose to obey it.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Be the first to comment on this story
Comments by registered users are approved by default.