PHILOS 2G03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Human Nature, Liberal Democracy, Majora Carter
25 May 2019
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For most social contract theories, the social contract is a hypothetical agreement that "creates political authority, and the rule of law. The social contract agreement rests on a concept of human nature as a rational or reasonable, some sense, self-interested. Hypothetical individual would only rationally choose to submit to some form of political autho have something to gain from it. By agreeing to enter society, individuals lose complete freedom to do whatever they want. The agreement is a contract or a promise to live together under certain constraints, and to gain something from it. The most powerful people in society have the most freedom and are able to enforc on others. The pre-political "state of nature" is "nasty and brutish" because nothing is wrong or imm everything goes. In the state of nature, everyone has perfect and complete (maximum) liberty to pursue t they see fit. Emphasizes the individual choices people have and make.
