Social Contract

Intro to Ethics | |
|Social Contract Theory                                                                                                                         |
|Civil Disobedience                                                                                                                             |
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Social contract argues that we need institutions in place in order to check each other because we are all inherently selfish. Thomas Hobbes who was the author of social contract believed that people will often times pursue their own self interest and will not care how their actions affect others in state of nature. If not these laws Hobbes thought “the state of nature” would be dreadful. Hobbes reason for thinking “the state of nature would be dreadful was because of the four basic facts about human life: equality of need, scarcity, the essential equality of human power, and limited altruism. These are basic needs we all require, and there aren’t enough of them to go around. .   Hobbes also believed if left unchecked, human beings would act on these impulses and live violent, brutish, inhumane, and solitary lives. As for Hobbes he believed a single ruler would control the violent and selfish impulses of individual members in a society through brute force; individuals would lose their liberty, but they would gain security and community. Social contract is a great idea, away from anarchy but again if everyone's voice isn't included it will fail. This is where civil disobedience plays a role. Civil disobedience is sometimes...