Social

Contract
Theory
Thomas Hobbes
Unit
● Hobbes’s Social Contract Theory
● Social Contract Quiz Tuesday Feb 27
Survivor
Have you ever read a story, seen a movie, TV
show or played a game in which a group of
people get trapped on a deserted island?
● Imagine you are a survivor of a plane crash
● YouActivity 1: Discussion
are stranded on a deserted island with 9
other people you don't know.
● There is no government or leader, only limited
food and water from the plane wreckage that
will last just a few days.
● What would you plan to do to stay alive until
help arrives? Be creative!
10 minutes - With your group, brainstorm a plan on your A3
sheet
 Activity 1: Discussion

What do you think would be the most likely outcome on the

island?

Would the 9 people work together and support each other as a

community or would everything descend into chaos with
people hurting each other?
Thomas Hobbes - Social Contract Theory
Thomas Hobbes
• Thomas Hobbes was a 17th Century
Philosopher
• He witnessed the English Civil War (1642 -
1651) that resulted in the King being
executed and the monarchy being
removed.
• The situation in England became so
dangerous that Hobbes left for France to
stay safe.
• His ideas about ethics and politics were
shaped by what he saw during the war.
 Hobbes’ State of Nature

Hobbes was deeply upset by what happened during the English

Civil War. He wanted to develop a theory about how people should
treat each other using reason.
Thought experiment: He imagined a time before there were
governments, laws, or morality.
He imagines people were living without anyone to control them.
This idea is called the Hobbesian State of Nature and it’s a bit like
our deserted island survivor thought experiment.
 Hobbes’
No ethics/justice in State ofNature
State of Nature
● In a world without a central power, like a government, people are
always fighting with each other and can’t trust one another.

● There is no right or wrong, justice or injustice in this world.

● The only important things are using force or trickery to survive.

● People live in a constant state of fear and are at risk of violent

death.

● This means life is tough, lonely, poor, nasty, and short.

Hobbes argues that to escape this State of
Nature people come up with a social contract
 Social Contract

(222) Social Contract Theory | Ethics Defined - YouTube

What is one social contract you have agreed to
since the start of this class?
 Social Contract Theory
Social contract theory is about people coming
together to make an agreement about how they will
live and work together, with the goal of protecting
everyone's rights and interests through rules and
laws enforced by a ruling body like a government or
a monarchy.

According to Hobbes a social contract is the

source of morality.
 Escaping Nature
The key to escaping the state of nature was a social contract.

Hobbes argued that free, rational, self-interested people

realize that we gain more benefits by cooperating than not
cooperating

So, people agree to form governments to protect cooperation,

protect themselves from chaotic might = right.
 Escaping Nature
People want to make sure their basic rights, like the right to life, freedom,
and property, are safe.

To do this, they gave up the right to govern themselves and instead

chose a ruler, often a king, to lead them.

The ruler is not bound by any promises made in the agreement and can
make decisions as they please.

The ruler's commands became the law, and the people are expected to
obey them without questioning. The ruler is not responsible to the
 Firm Hand Required
Hobbes believed that just agreeing to give up individual
freedom and authority wouldn't be enough to ensure peace.

People would still break the

agreement if it benefited
them.
Therefore, some person or
group needed the power to
physically enforce the
agreement.
No rebellion, please
• Individuals did not have the right to rebel against the king.
• Disobedience was allowed only when the sovereign (ruler) threatened
their right to self-preservation

• Any change in the

government would lead to
the breakdown of the state,
and he did not separate the
state and government as
distinct political entities.
No Violence Allowed!
https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/french-revolution-timeline-overview
Criticisms of Hobbes
1. Hobbes idea of human nature is too pessimist; we are not
naturally selfish, violent, and viciously competitive.

2. In a state of nature, we are pure; it

is society that corrupts us
(Rousseau)

3. Hobbes' state of nature is

unrealistic; people would not act
as badly as he described.

https://wideurbanworld.blogspot.com/2012/06/violence-in-ancient-times-hobbes-vs.html
Criticisms of Hobbes
4. The social contract is not
fair; it gives all the power to
the ruler and doesn't protect
the rights of the people.

https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny/

5. Hobbes' ideas are not

relevant; they were shaped by
the violent, chaotic time he
lived in

https://www.warlordgames.com/the-first-english-civil-war-1642-1647/
Modern Social Contract Theory

1. Agreement between individuals: Social contract theory says that people

come together and make an agreement about how they will live together
and form a government.
2. Selection of a ruler: Within the social contract, individuals voluntarily give
up their right to govern themselves and instead choose a leader, often a
king, to govern and guide them.
3. Purpose of government: The purpose of government, according to social
contract theory, is to protect the rights and interests of the individuals
who make up society.
4. Rules and laws: The agreement between individuals creates rules and
laws that everyone must follow. This is to keep order and prevent people
from hurting each other.
Modern Social Contract Theory

5. Power to the government: The government is given the power to enforce

the rules and laws. This is so they can make sure everyone follows
them.
6. Individual rights: Social contract theory says that individuals have
certain rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and property, that the
government must protect.
7. Mutual agreement: The social contract is based on a mutual agreement
between individuals. This means that everyone must agree to the rules
and laws for the contract to work.
8. Change over time: Social contract theory allows for changes to the
agreement as society changes. This means that the rules and laws can
be updated as needed to fit the changing needs of society.
Activity Two:
Thinking back to the first activity about being stranded on
the island.

Imagine how you and your fellow survivors can cooperate

to ensure everyone survival.

On your A3 Sheet - write a social contract that will facilitate

and ensure trust and cooperation. Work in groups or
individually. Be creative
Activity 3: Contractarianism
Watch this video (9:31) and take notes on these
points:
1. Review the google doc and answer the questions in the
comments

Watch this video (9:31):

Contractarianism: Crash Course Philosophy #37
Notes
 Thomas Hobbes’ Social Contract Theory
● The key to escaping the state of nature was a social contract.
● he argued that free, rational self-interested people realize that there are more
benefits to be found by cooperating than not cooperating
● People agree to form a government to protect themselves from the dangerous and
chaotic state of nature.
● They want to make sure their basic rights, like the right to life, freedom, and
property, are safe.
● To do this, they gave up their right to govern themselves and instead chose a ruler,
often a king, to lead them.
● The ruler is not bound by any promises made in the agreement and can make
decisions as they please.
● The ruler's commands became the law, and the people are expected to obey them
without questioning. The ruler is not responsible to the people.
 Thomas Hobbes’ Social Contract Theory
● Hobbes believed that just agreeing to give up individual
freedom and authority wouldn't be enough to ensure peace.
● People would still act in their own self-interest and break
the agreement if it benefited them. Therefore, the
agreement needed to be given to a person or group with the
power to enforce it.
● Hobbes believed that agreements wouldn't have any real
power without the ability to enforce them through the use of
coercion.
Criticisms of Hobbes
1. People don't agree with Hobbes' idea of human nature: Hobbes believed that people are
naturally selfish, violent and compete with each other. Some people think this is not true and
that people are not always like this.
2. Hobbes wanted a strong ruler: Hobbes believed in a strong leader who had all the power. This
idea is not fair to some people who believe in democracy and equal rights for everyone.
3. Hobbes' idea of a "state of nature" is unrealistic: Some people believe that Hobbes' idea of a
world without laws and rules is not real and that people would not act as badly as he
described.
4. The social contract is not fair: Some people think that Hobbes' idea of a contract between the
ruler and the people is not fair because it gives all the power to the ruler and doesn't protect
the rights of the people.
5. Hobbes' ideas were shaped by the time he lived in: Hobbes' ideas were developed during a
time of conflict and religious problems in England. Some people think this makes his ideas
not as relevant to other times and places.
6. Hobbes' moral ideas are not absolute: Hobbes believed that what is right and wrong depends
on the laws and customs of a society. Some people disagree with this and believe that there
are universal moral principles.
Hobbes' ideas about government and human nature have been criticized for being too
pessimistic, unfair, unrealistic, and shaped by the time he lived in.