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Social Contract: How much does our individual freedom should the state…
Social Contract: How much does our individual freedom should the state have authority/control over?
The Greeks: Plato
Assumptions
Everyone has a natural calling/purpose that they are compelled to follow
Soldiers
Protect society
Guardians
Govern/Lead society
Workers
Do manual labour for society
Philosopher King (Guardians know Philosophy)
Philosophers understand what life is all about and hence can make good decisions for policy
Against ambition, upward or downward mobility, and doing something populistic or because one possesses power
Force-fitting of roles
Unhappiness and injustice in society
The Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes
Assumptions
Humans are rational, power-hungry
War against All, where strong and dominant individuals are power holders
Otherwise, there would be constant chases and conflict in society. Life if also short and brutish.
As people yearn to avoid that dreadful lifestyle, they will live under a sovereign
Provision of order and predictability through law enactment and enforcement
Resources are finite
Power Imbalance (Horizontal contract)
Individuals give up all their rights to the sovereign
Sovereigns are not obligated to the people
Power is not contested
Examples
Medieval
Monarchies
Feudalistic Society
Men are obedient
Orderly Political Society
Divided into smaller states/cities/provinces ruled by aristocrats
King controls the country
Two Treaties of Government: John Locke
Assumptions
Men are free and equal
Everyone pursues upward mobility and passions
All power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one has more power than another in the first place
Humans are good and social creatures
Some are evil
Only punish those who are evil doers to return society to its natural state of peace
Most keep their promises and honour obligations
Who is the leader?
God is the master of them all
Everyone will agree on conferring the government power