Although in the concept of the Social Contract Theory written by the three philosophers- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke … According to Dunn (1993, p28), Westerners have been in a position to exercise their democracy as citizens with rights to make their own decision when voting. To simplify it, Hobbesian social contract theory places an emphasis on the importance of a government that takes rights from the people to provide services and run the government. These separation of powers as a lot of philosophers and specialists have told before is very important for the simple reason that Montesquieu mentioned very clearly “When legislative power is united with executive powers in a single person or in a single body there is no liberty, because one can fear that the same monarch or senate that makes tyrannical laws will execute them tyrannically”. The first modern philosopher to articulate a detailed contract theory was Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), who contended that people in a state of nature ceded their individual rights to create sovereignty, retained by the state, in return for their protection and a more functional society, so social contract evolves out o… Definition of Social Contract Theory … Social Contract Theory The importance of social contract theory demonstrates the perspective of a particular individual moral and political obligation that are highly relational to the contract or agreement relative to the condition of terms if they are acceptable in the society (Friend, 2004). Social contract attempts to explain the formation as well as maintenance of societies or states as a result of implied contract between individuals and groups. Dunn, J., 1993. A Social Contract is not an official contract, but a fiction; that of mutual understanding. Social contract ascertains that political order and law are not natural but human creation (Christman 2002, p.50). Different activists gave different terms as far as social contract is concerned. States were in conflict because there was no sovereign state. With social contract theory, citizens seek to find fair and just treatment in society. Drawing on social contract theory, Integrative Social Contracts Theory posit that rational global contractors--businesses, individuals and other economic actors--enter into a hypothetical contract determining standards and norms. Retrieved from https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-the-social-contract-in-western-political-theory/. Social contract has played a role in enhancing the constitution. McClelland, S., 1996. Some authors presented social contract as something which was historically in existence as debated on the collective bargain terms (Rousseau 1987, p30). Indiana: Hackett Publishing Co. The social contract is a concept in the philosophy of ethics and political science that has more recently been applied to the study of business ethics. So one condition of rule of law that it should be embedded with morality and then only it would act as a strong yardstick to control the society. Locke grew up in a rural Tudor house in Belluton. IvyPanda. John Locke’… Your privacy is extremely important to us. Social contract theories framed how the states constitution could be structured depending on the sovereign powers interest. IvyPanda. The power imbalance, held by law enforcement, is part of the contract … Position: Companies and business people should be ethical It also led to the establishment of the constitution in the state (Cristo 2003, p98). "For that fact, we know that government is with us to stay, however, government can only be constitutional when it mirrors the aggregate opinion, or general will, of the society(Academiaedu, 2017). Some investors do look to acquire stock in socially responsible corporations, but, on the whole, investors purchase stock on the expectations of turning a profit. It contains thousands of paper examples on a wide variety of topics, all donated by helpful students. "Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains! Especially when social contract discriminates against women politically, terming them as unworthy and unable to make crucial political decisions. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. n. A usually implicit agreement among the members of an organized society or between the governed and … From the radical reformation period until mid eighteenth century, social contract idea dominated political thinking, which is evidence that political theories were derived from social contract theories. This made them to compete with one another. The answer is obviously to find socially CSR projects that can be advantageous to the organization; however, many believe that this defeats the aim of carrying responsible business practices. Women were looked down upon as they were regarded as people who needed not to participate in politics. Institutions do not act. It postulates a state of nature as the original condition of humanity and asocial contract, deliberately and voluntarily made, as the means of escape therefrom. Rousseau and the Social Contract. Hence, it was employed as a device of framing what was good in developing the just society or state. Social contract theory is a contentious idea in the study of business morals, since extensive political issues are tied to it, to which many people disagree. IvyPanda. Social contract theory is based on the idea of a contractual agreement between the individual and the state, under which the power of the sovereign is justified by a hypothetical social contract in which the people agree to obey in all matters in return for a guarantee of peace and security, which they lack in the warlike "state of nature" posited to exist before the contract is made. It has played a role of identifying the useful government to the western communities and the best state of governance to hold. Minister Sully brought economic stability and financial growth A social contract theory has played major role in enhancing political democracy in western political theory. Social contract theories started from human natures desire to learn what happens on an individual when absented from political governance (Christman 2002, p.48). Rousseau, J., 1987. Citizens agree to surrender absolute freedom and obey laws in exchange for the greater security and prosperity that come from living within an organized society. Social Contract theory is important because it revolutionized the way that people understood the role of subjects and kings. Christman, J., 2002. Therefore, social contract has played major role in shaping western political theory. we will assume that you agree to our A History of Western Political Thought. It originated with a presupposition of legitimate political power, as well as Cardinal Richelieu imposed direct royal administration on France. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. Social contract was developed in early western political thought. The rule of law also, Lack of corporate governance is the main constraint of SMEs development. The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society. "The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society." Christman (2002, p.28) further argued that, “this motivated the social contract theorist to look for ways on how they can demonstrate in different modes, how a rational individual would wish to give up his/her freedom to obtain political order benefits.” The paper addresses the manner in which social contract impacted western political theory. Cookies Policy, This essay on The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society was written and submitted by your fellow student. Social contracts played a major role in determining gender participation in politics. Most political philosophers used the social contract theory in framing their theory and in elaborating their political theory concept. These business people do not understand this concept and do not fully understand the role of ethical in business. These concessions are but partial, if not artificial, commitment to ethical responsibility, and only a fraction of companies do these. Being one of the most predominant speculations within political and moral theory throughout the history of. Social contract changed the state of nature. Thomas Hobbes, 1588-1679, lived during the most crucial period of early modern England's history: the English Civil War, waged from 1642-1648. Other people obey the law because they are forced due to fear of punishment but not because they are obliged to. IvyPanda. Social contract developed a framework for the western political philosophers to follow. IvyPanda, 10 Sept. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-the-social-contract-in-western-political-theory/. Social contract is sometimes violated, where the motives of social contract generation are frustrated with government and political parties failing to neutralize the discomfort. But why is there a need for a greater, real ethical responsibility? According to Dunn (1993, p28), Westerners have been in a position to exercise their democracy as citizens with rights to make their own decision when voting. Among the key objectives in businesses is the importance of giving back to society, a role that has come to be known as social responsibility. While some companies, such as Toyota and GE, have profited from corporate social responsibility, companies that adopt such policies often prove as likely to lose money. IvyPanda. It favors a large government, and does not place any real importance on the rights of those entering into the social contract with those in power. Sixteenth century philosopher, John Locke, believed that, when men transfer their rights to a government, a social contract is entered into. So businesses do not understand the role of business ethics, no sense of building ethical business in the enterprise, the enterprise will be very difficult to go to the highest success. Hobbes (2002, p.26) wrote that, “lt it ended to an establishment of state which a sovereign entity is creating laws which regulated interaction socially.” The state system which resulted from individual ceding their rights was without leadership (Christman 2002, p88). You work together as a neighborhood to protect the homes of one another. Social contract also appeared as a means for better understanding of the public policy which existed in the works of John Rawls, an American political philosopher. Social contracts have had an obligation of ensuring political authority based on individual rational and self interest consent (Cristo 2003, p.48). Political philosophers throughout history have had differing views on how governments rule over people. John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704), was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and known as the "Father of Classical Liberalism". John Locke was born in Wrington, Somerset, England, to John and Agnes Lock, the father a country lawyer and clerk to the Justices of the Peace in Chew Magna. Social contract is an intellectual tool aimed at explaining necessary relationships between individual and their government (Christman 2002, p26). Both parents were Puritans. It was Locke's ideas that were considered one of the most important influences in the formation of the United States. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must. London: Routledge. Not everyone would agree on the best type of music or the best books, so these cannot legitimately be the subject of universal moral rules. Most original political philosopher of the 17th century “A social contract theory can be defined as one which grounds the legitimacy of political authority and the obligations of rulers and subjects on a premised contract or contracts relating to these matters”. He developed his Social Contract Theory in his famous book “Two Treatises on Civil Government (1690)”. The classic social-contract theorists of the 17th and 18th centuries— Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), John Locke (1632–1704), and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78)—held that the social contract is the means by which civilized society, including government, arises from a historically or logically preexisting condition of stateless anarchy, or a “ state of nature.” 10 September. If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Did not see god as a source of political authority Portrayed human beings and society in materialistic and mechanical way. Social contract facilitated rationale to the state citizens as they had better understanding of political theories by capturing the social contract concepts. Social contract theory synonyms, Social contract theory pronunciation, Social contract theory translation, English dictionary definition of Social contract theory. They are directly related to each other. In 1647, he was sent to the prestigious Westminster School in London under the sponsorship of Alexander Popham, a member of Parliament and his father‘s former commander. It was seen as an intellectual expression to European political thoughts where by kings, vassal and lords, were considered in formation of political, legal and military affairs (Rousseau 1987, p16). Western political theorists have predominantly been portraying the exchange and interdependence between their constitution and government through social contract model (McClelland 1996, p182). We are all governed by the societies we live in. Only actors act. There are many who have embraced the concept over the years, including theorists … All of these philosophers used "the state of nature" as a thought experiment for thinking about political legitimacy and shared the conclusion that governments have their origin in an implied social contract. Published his most influential work Leviathan which provided a philosophical justification for a strong central political authority. Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights … Social contract enhanced the history of freedom. September 10, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-the-social-contract-in-western-political-theory/. His characterization is perhaps best summed up in his own succinct words: “government even in its best state is but a necessary evil.” These words speak measures to his attitude towards the fundamental nature of government—an attitude that shaped a political party in his time that has evolved over time with the core concept relatively intact. To simplify it, Hobbesian social contract theory places an emphasis on the importance of a government that takes rights from the people to provide services and run the government. The term 'social contract' refers to the idea that the state exists only to serve the will of the people, who are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. Social contract has also impacted political theories as they were framed based on social contract theories. If you continue, In addition, it was termed as a form of political revolution and lastly, as a way of treating each individual the same regardless of their race, origin or color (Cristo 2003, p38). 827 Words 4 Pages. Social contract has enhanced formation of political parties, democracy, obedience of the law, proper governance and even law formation (Rousseau 1987, p.26). Ward Churchill’s criticism of social contract theory clearly applies to classic social contract theories that we discussed. Another association exists as an agreement between the society and the government in impacting the political theories (Jones 2002, p89). Each individual was entrusted with own rights which no other person could deprive, unless by law which binds the citizens (Kelly & Boucher 1994, p.209). In moral and political philosophy, the social contract is a theory or model that originated during the Age of Enlightenment and usually concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. Social construction is a sociological concept, which refers to individuals or groups’ perceptions or ideas that are created through social and cultural practice. Copyright © 2021 - IvyPanda is a trading name of Edustream Thomas Hobbes (2002, p.26), argued that an individuals’ life in the state of nature was short, brutish, poor, solitary and nasty, whereby, there was prevention of society due to self interest and absence of rights and contract. London: Cambridge University press. It is also very much true that such rule of law varies from one society to another society, a particular law which is supreme in one society may not be supreme in another society. It favors a large government, and does not place any real importance on the rights of those entering into the social contract with those in power. The most general argument in favour of institutional analysis lies in the idea that institutions have to be interpreted by political actors (Lowndes and Roberts 2013). According to eminent Professor Dicey, the rule of law presupposes the absence of wide discretionary authority among the rulers and that they are unable to govern according to their own laws and they actually end up governing and implementing the existing laws . Modern Political Thinkers and ideas: a Historical Introduction. 1. Both parties to the contract should behave as if it was tangible and real. Dunn (1994, p.85), argued that each state creates its own constitution which could not interfere with other states to enhance better living in the society. Individuals, through corporations, have the right to amass wealth, but morality dictates that they do so ethically. After completing his studies there, he was admitted to Christ Church, Oxford in 1652. The social contract is a common term within political discourse which refers to an invisible contract between the people and the state. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. The Ethical Necessity/Imperative "The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society." A social contract theory has played major role in enhancing political democracy in western political theory. September 10, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-the-social-contract-in-western-political-theory/. Technologies LLC, a company registered in Wyoming, USA. the American Revolution steered the ratification of the US Declarations. Social contract theory is a contentious idea in the study of business morals, since extensive political issues are tied to it, to which many people disagree. Social contract created political theory by capturing the concept that individual obedience is not necessary when making a congruent decision; hence it is necessary for the citizens to make decisions based on the individuals’ choice but not through political influence (Rouseau 1987, p19). In subjecting themselves to a sovereign ruler, or other form of government, the people gain security.Locke expressed a belief that people had certain basic rights that must be supplied by the government, as a result of its contract with the people. Thus, social contracts have had a congruent impact to the western political theory (Jones 2002, p.165). This has been enhanced through eradication of the dictatorship regimes because each citizen through social contracts had better understanding and capturing of what their rights are, hence, their rights should be respected. 2019. Henry was loyal and caring to his people If the citizens derive from the government maximum benefits that is proportional to what government requires from them, the government acquires strength and legitimacy (Jones 2002, p.145). ... What the government does to hide the truth about food, sugar, and its relation to obesity is in direct violation of the Social Contract Theory. As opposed to state of nature, social contract brought about development of states which enhanced citizen’s democracy. It is legitimate only if given freely to the state by its citizens and explains why the state has duties to its citizens and vice versa. How Locke's Social Contract Theory Influenced Others Locke's philosophies and influence on modern society were far-reaching, even extending to the formation of the American Colonies into the bastion of freedom the country is today. September 10, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/role-of-the-social-contract-in-western-political-theory/. Kelly, J., & Boucher, D., 1994. Point 1: Being ethical in business strengthens the systems and relationships that support and sustain it Social contract states clearly circumstances under which the state government is very crucial, through this has assisted in developing essential duties and rights of the citizens (McClelland 1996, p.145). In the first section of Common Sense, Thomas Paine characterizes government as he sees it, which is still an influential viewpoint. The database is updated daily, so anyone can easily find a relevant essay example. One may decide to vote or not to without any one questioning them. We utilize security vendors that protect and Social contract could also be used as a justification for good governance. Much importance has been gained by corporate governance in, Here, we are talking about social contract theory or we can say a topic which have been not so popular in accounting profession but also stands firmly and must needed an attention in business sector. No man in this world is free. professional specifically for you? France Absolutism in Western Europe Cont. Said monarchy is the effective to maintain order Tolerated every religion This view indicates companies can prosper by focussing on making profits rather than on troublesome and subjective ethical concerns. "The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society." At C… What’s your deadline? It has been used as a means for executing the king as it was in 17th century in England when it was used by the leaders of the Commonwealth (McClelland 1996, p.135). In fact, economists have demonstrated that corporate profits associated with ethics, and increase the level of profits tied to increase level of ethics. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to Social Contract Theory. The natural rights we were born with are protected by a government we choose to govern us. We will write a custom Essay on The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page. (2019, September 10). Unfortunately, your browser is too old to work on this site. Patriotism reflects a desire to protect one’s national group. According to Hobbes (2002, p.26), “political order and social contract creates a way toward an end by benefiting only the involved individuals.” Several social contract theorists argued that, failings associated with law and political order can only be changed by citizens through election or other means like violence. It has often been argued that, fundamentally, the absence of written constitution in UK, is the by-product of a historical coincidence; as typically throughout history, revolutions, wars & political events were the primary cause of constitutional change; e.g. Social contract moulds the western political theories, through contract of association, whereby, individuals sacrifice their liberty for the sake of others to join the community. John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau who came after Hobbes are also proponents of social contract theory which has enormously influenced political and moral theory throughout the modern west political history. 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