Social Contract Theory

Social contract theory focuses on the origination of laws and states, and the influence
states or regulated communities have on the individual. All forms of social contract theory
can be ultimately boiled down to this: The individual desire for security, or safety, demands
fulfilment through a collective agreement. This collective agreement transforms the human
realm from the "natural, primordial state" into an organized society."

The social contract is an idea of the great philosophers Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. It attempts to
address the legitimacy of the state over the individual. It argues that individual has consented to
surrender some of their freedoms and submits to the authority of the government in exchange for the
protection of their remaining rights.

It starts from the Hobbesian notion of human condition absent of any political order and seeks to
ask why an individual would consent to give up their natural freedom. For Hobbes, a state
without political order and rule of law would descend into a “right to all things” and thus the
freedom top plunder, rape, murder, etc.

This theme is taken up by Grotius, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Kant.

For Locke and Rousseau, we gain civil rights in return for accepting the obligation to respect and
defend the rights of others. Law and political order are not natural but a human construct.

There are circumstances when an individual can withdraw their support for the ruler. For Hobbes, an
individual can withdraw support if the government is too weak to act effectively to quell civil unrest.
According to Locke, when government fails to secure the individual’s natural rights or satisfy the
“general will” (Rousseau) or best interests of society, citizens can withdraw their rights, attempt to
change the leadership by elections or by other means including violence.

State is an instrument used by the capitalists class to oppress the working class~Karl Marx

The soul purpose of his theory of state is to inspire the working class to revolt against the
capitalist class.
Marx criticized theories projecting state as God or representing Universal spirit/altruism(Eg:
Hegel's Theory of state which says "state is the march of God on earth").
According to him, such ideologies are nothing but false consciousness. He says that a
scientific understanding of society based on historical materialism shows that state is
nothing but the instrument of bourgeoisie class and State's altruism is not for all, but only to
the capitalist class.

The class which controls the base(Economy) controls the super structure. As Capitalist's
control the base, they will also control the super structure(state or government).So a state
becomes an executive committee of capitalists and its function is to implement the
decisions of capitalist class.
Hence, workers cannot expect justice from the state and have to no option but revolt.