Social Contract Theory Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is the philosophy of Limited Government?

  • Government should have many limits.
  • Sovereigns can do anything that injures their subjects.
  • Government has absolute authority.
  • Government does not have absolute authority. (correct)

What does the term 'State of Nature' refer to?

The philosophy regarding how humans would act in their most basic state without a civil government.

The State of War means that people are at peace with one another.

False (B)

What are Unalienable Rights?

<p>Rights that cannot be taken away from anyone.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do Equal Rights imply?

<p>All persons have the same rights as everyone else. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is 'Consent of the Governed'?

<p>The political theory that governments gain their authority from their people.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Define 'Social Contract'.

<p>The idea that people join groups and agree on rules for membership in their society.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Equality signify?

<p>The belief that all persons are entitled to equal rights and treatment before the law.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is 'Civil Society'?

<p>A society that occurs after people leave the State of Nature.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Social Contract Theory?

<p>The authority to rule is granted to the government by the people through a contract.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Limited Government

  • Government must not possess absolute authority and is limited in its powers.
  • Thomas Hobbes argued against extensive limits but maintained that a sovereign cannot harm subjects.

State of Nature

  • Refers to human behavior in the absence of civil government.
  • Hobbes viewed the state of nature as a realm of selfishness and chaos, prioritizing pleasure over justice.

State of War

  • Hobbes believed individuals in the state of nature were perpetually in conflict, described as a "war of all against all."
  • Individuals had the freedom to act as they wished, resulting in constant fear for their safety.

Unalienable Rights/Natural Rights

  • These are fundamental rights that cannot be stripped away, such as freedom of speech.

Equal Rights

  • The principle that all individuals, regardless of their attributes, possess the same rights.
  • Authority of the government derives from the consent of its people.
  • If the people do not consent, the government lacks legitimacy.

Social Contract

  • Represents an agreement among individuals to form a society and establish rules.
  • It defines the terms for membership and cooperation within the community.

Equality

  • Everyone is entitled to equal treatment and rights under the law.

Civil Society

  • Emerges when people leave the state of nature, characterized by adherence to justice rather than instinct.
  • In civil society, individuals gain civil liberties, property rights, and moral freedom, becoming self-governing.

Social Contract Theory

  • The concept that governmental authority stems from a contract between the government and the governed.
  • Both parties have obligations that must be fulfilled for the contract's validity.

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