What is the basis of social contract theory?
Social contract theory says that people live together in society in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior. Some people believe that if we live according to a social contract, we can live morally by our own choice and not because a divine being requires it.
What are the differences and similarities of Hobbes’s and Locke’s social contract?
(1) Hobbes’ sovereign is not a party to any contract and has no obligation to protect his citizens’ natural rights. (2) Locke has two contracts (between citizens and citizens, and between citizens and the government) in place of Hobbes’ single contract (between citizens to obey the sovereign).
What is the general will according to Rousseau?
General will, in political theory, a collectively held will that aims at the common good or common interest. In Du Contrat social (1762; The Social Contract), Rousseau argued that freedom and authority are not contradictory, since legitimate laws are founded on the general will of the citizens.
Why is the general will always right?
By definition, the general will is always right. The general will is the overriding good to which each person is willing to sacrifice all other goods, including all particular private wills. The “good citizen” assigns to society’s laws a goodness and wisdom exceeding his own goodness and wisdom.
What was the general will according to Rousseau quizlet?
The will of the sovereign that aims at the common good. Each individual has his own particular will that expresses what is best for him. The general will expresses what is best for the state as a whole.
Which best characterizes Rousseau’s idea of the general will?
Terms in this set (6) Summarize Rousseau’s account of the general will and the particular will. He describes general will as the will of the people as a whole. The law is the expression of general will All citizens have the right to contribute personally, or through their representatives, to its formation.
What was Rousseau’s impact on society?
Rousseau was the least academic of modern philosophers and in many ways was the most influential. His thought marked the end of the European Enlightenment (the “Age of Reason”). He propelled political and ethical thinking into new channels. His reforms revolutionized taste, first in music, then in the other arts.