| Papers [1-14] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 8] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 —> | Search results on "LIBERAL SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORIES HOBBES": |
|
|
Liberal Social Contract Theories: Hobbes and Locke, 2002.
A comparison between Hobbes' and Locke's theories.
1,940 words (approx. 7.8 pages), 4 sources, £ 42.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the concept of liberalism with reference to Hobbes? and Locke?s viewpoints. The author of this paper explains that both writers discuss the ideas of government and liberalism from a different viewpoint to other writers in that they refer to ideas of the nature of man and man?s conduct in the ?state of nature' rather than ideas based on religion. While both refer to the concept of a social contract as a way to rule and govern, Hobbes stresses the importance of the monarch as the ruling and powerful entity, while Locke emphasizes the importance of the community and people as the superior aspect
From the Paper
"In developing their theory of government, both Hobbes and Locke start with a hypothetical ?state of nature.? And both have reason and rationality as their base to arrive at their respective conclusions, rather than concepts derived from religion and divinity. The difference lies in their ideas of the nature of man and man?s conduct in the ?state of nature.? Hence their different conclusions. Although both talk of a ?Social Contract? while developing their respective ideas of government, Hobbes favors monarchy and holds the monarch, once the people give consent to him, as all powerful, whereas Locke holds that the people [i.e. the community] that give legitimacy to the ruler to govern are supreme."
| |
|
The Social Contract According to Hobbes and Locke, 2005.
An examination of the social contract theories developed by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.
1,265 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 29.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This essay focuses on the views of Hobbes and Locke in connection with their "social contract" theories. Specifically, this paper illustrates the core differences between their theories by examining how Hobbes and Locke understood the state of nature and men's natural tendencies, as well as the differences in the purpose and structure of their social contract.
From the Paper
"Thomas Hobbes and John Locke collectively maintained that prior to the emergence of the state, a state of nature existed in which there was no order or law, though they strongly differed in their views on the state of nature. A state of nature refers to conditions in which no traditional means for morality are present; for example, religion, universal altruisms, etc. To resolve the concerns associated with the state of nature, both Hobbes and Locke developed social contract theories to address why citizens should submit to a government and be bound by a social agreement."
| |
|
Hobbes and Rousseau: Social Contract, 2005.
Discusses the concept of the social contract through the works of Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
1,500 words (approx. 6.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 34.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the notion of the social contract - the concept that human society is fundamentally a human construct. It explains that the concept originated in seventeenth-century European thought and was developed throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, receiving perhaps its most dramatic and influential expressions in Thomas Hobbes's "Leviathan", published in 1651 and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "The Social Contract", published in 1762.
From the Paper
"Jean-Jacques Rousseau also used the notion of the social contract as a human creation, 'not a natural right' but 'one founded on covenants' (Rousseau 50), but radically changed the concept put forward by Hobbes. Rousseau, like Hobbes, argued that people agreed to cede authority to a particular group in return for the benefits of social organization and mutual security: 'the only way in which they can preserve themselves is by uniting their separate powers in a combination strong enough to overcome any resistance, uniting them so that their powers are directed by a single motive and act in concert' (Rousseau, 59-60). However, while Hobbes argued that the social contract could not be changed once established, for to change it would invite social breakdown and anarchy, Rousseau asserted that if those in power failed or refused to fulfil the contract by providing safety, the people were free to break the contract with them and establish a new social contract."
| |
|
Lockes Social Contract: A Convincing Justification for the Political Order, 2000.
This essay examines Locke?s social contract between people and sovereign and how Locke embraces the people?s right of revolution, and assigns the sovereign reciprocal responsibilities to his subjects that Hobbes does not do.
2,160 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 3 sources, £ 46.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
To substantiate the social contract as a valid justification for the political order, I will primarily examine Locke?s social contract between people and sovereign, rather than Hobbes?s social contract among the people, because Locke?s theory is generally superior and more contemporarily relevant. I will first examine the pre-political state of persons, which is the state of nature, and demonstrate that rational individuals are compelled to enter society by agreeing to the social contract. Secondly, I will discuss the principal advantage of the social contract, which is that the government is legitimized by the consent of the people. Thirdly, I will discuss the principal advantage peculiar to Locke?s formulation of the social contract, which is that the sovereign is held accountable for his actions. To more thoroughly examine the validity of the social contract in justifying a political order, I will discuss a possible objection to the use of the social contract, namely, that the social contract cannot oblige any but those who originally formed such a contract.
From the Paper
"After the English Civil War, justifying political authority became a particularly pressing concern. After all, the nation fought a bloody war to determine whether its supreme authority would be King Charles I, who claimed rule by divine right, or the Parliament. Thomas Hobbes?s Leviathan was published in 1651, shortly after the Rump Parliament voted to execute the often-intractable Charles I in 1649. The chaos of the Civil War, regicide, and the establishment of Cromwell?s Protectorate surely led Hobbes to favor a sovereign with absolute power. In contrast, Locke?s Second Treatise on Government, published in 1690, was greeted by a starkly different English political culture. The 1688 Glorious Revolution, a bloodless coup in which the last Catholic monarch, James II, was finally deposed, allowed for the acceptance of the English Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights finally guaranteed the supremacy of Parliament and the political and civil rights of the people. Granted the historical fact of the Glorious Revolution, Locke embraces the people?s right of revolution, and assigns the sovereign reciprocal responsibilities to his subjects that Hobbes does not do. Although Hobbes and Locke ultimately design markedly different states, each justifies the political order with a social contract. The social contract does, indeed, provide a convincing justification for the political order."
| |
|
Social Contract Theories, 2003.
Compares theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, £ 21.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
Discusses the type of society each man wants to create and examines the premise that equality is rooted in the state of nature, and a civil society is needed to be secure.
From the Paper
"The main factor that separates the social contract theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke has to do with the society each man wants to create and the obstacles each man wants to avoid. Rousseau was responding to the terrors of the French Revolution..."
| |
|
Contract Theory, 2002.
This paper discusses contract theory in the context of Locke's, Hobbes', and Rousseau political views.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 3 sources, £ 30.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper shows that Locke believed that the government had a contract to fulfill the citizen's wishes. The author states that Hobbes, held that the government had a contract to make sure the people were saved from their own self-destruction. The paper explains that Rousseau argued that the government had a contract to fulfill the "general will" of the people, as opposed to protecting individual liberties.
| |
|
The Enduring Self and Social Contract Theory, 2002.
A proposal of different philosophical theories regarding the enduring self and social contract theory.
1,382 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 0 sources, £ 32.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper evaluates the views of some of the most famous philosophers on the theories of 'self' being an entity in its own right and social contract theory, that individuals living in isolation and without government would come together to form a government, binding themselves to a sovereign in exchange for protection. It shows amongst some of the views described in the paper how Descartes believed that the self was a continuing entity, how John Locke believed in the enduring self but stated that the existence of the self was dependent on memory, and how David Hume rejects the idea of the self as existing at all.
From the Paper
"The self is often thought of as interchangeable with the concept of identity, with an emphasis on the inner dimension of human consciousness and thought. The self is thought of as a part of consciousness. Descartes believed that the self was a continuing entity, the same throughout life. Descartes stated, ?I think, therefore I am,? indicating that reason was the source of all knowledge and that the application of reason alone demonstrated that the enduring self was a real entity. The concept has become bound with issues of perception. Descartes placed the source of all perceptions in reason, while others saw all knowledge as perceptual, perceived only through the senses, and therefore not trustworthy because the senses can be wrong. Descartes believed in the enduring self because he could reason that the self he knew endured in the same form at all times."
| |
|
Social Contract Theory, 2008.
This paper looks at the advantages and disadvantages of the social contract theory.
1,411 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 2 sources, APA, £ 32.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper looks at what the social contract theory holds morality to be as well as the apparent advantages and disadvantages of the theory as a guide for regulating the moral actions of everyday citizens. The paper looks at how the theory fails insofar as it insufficiently protects the disabled from mistreatment at the hands of others. The paper focuses on the sad case of Baby Theresa, a disabled child whose demise offers a poignant rebuttal of the social contract view that some creatures should be beyond moral consideration. The paper warns that once a society decides that utilitarian arguments should hold sway when it comes to who should live and die, it opens up the potential for large numbers of its citizens to be exploited brutally by others.
From the Paper
"In the view of Hobbes, morality is the practical solution to the question of how best human beings can interact with one another in a social context. Put another way, morality is needed (even if people do not see profound religious or philosophical reasons for its existence) because all of us need a stable and secure society if we are to enjoy all the benefits that should accrue to us as social beings (Rachel, 2003b). Seen in this light, one may present the case that a society committed to the social contract will work industriously to preserve the rights of all citizens - including the mentally-disabled. After all, if the rights of one group are undermined, then the rights of all other groups can easily be undermined, as well."
| |
|
The Social Contract Theory, 2007.
This paper looks at Rousseau's social contract theory of how society holds together.
789 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 19.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
The paper relates that Rousseau's writings continue to be relevant today, as social contract theorists see morality as a set of rules. The paper explains that for these theorists, the rules govern how people should treat one another. The paper discusses how the social contract theory lays down the laws that supposedly hold society together, but their foundation is a strong sense of self-interest.
From the Paper
"Like his predecessor Thomas Hobbes, Rousseau believed that the general state of nature was not conducive to the development of a cooperative society. Hobbes believed that people only obey the rule of order due to "fear of death." Hobbes further believed that the Laws of Nature clearly show that life is "nasty, brutish and short." People are constantly engaged in a state of war over scarce resources such as food. Reasonable people will therefore strive to seize what they need, in order to survive. This bleak scenario, according to Hobbes, represented the state of nature, in which humans must somehow survive."
| |
|
Social Contract Theory, 2006.
A discussion regarding the social contract theory and public administration.
948 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 23.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the social contract theory, a philosophical concept used to describe the underlying basis of society. According to the paper, social contract denotes an implicit agreement within a state regarding the rights and responsibilities of the state and its citizens, or more generally a similar concord between a group and its members, or between individuals.
From the Paper
"The concept of opportunity for continued growth and security could also be applied to my workplace. Jobs should allow for and encourage personal growth and development on the part of the employee, as well as opportunities for meaningful advancement in a career. If there was the clear possibility of promotion and higher pay, this would be an incentive for people to put in more effort when they go to work. For this Quality of Life principle, in my workplace I know that even I would work harder because it is a goal that is possible, instead of the current reality that you probably won't be promoted or make more money anyway, so why try harder to perform better? This concept would assist in rebuilding the social theory because people would think more of themselves and work harder to give their family a better life. "
| |
|
Contract Theory, 2007.
This paper explores the issue of contract law and whether contracts are required for an efficient marketplace.
7,833 words (approx. 31.3 pages), 21 sources, MLA, £ 117.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the theory of contract and provides a review of contemporary legal contract theories, the relation between contract law and trust and how important lawyers are in contract law for promoting trust in commerce. The paper shows how contracts are the primary business instrument used to transact commercial exchanges in the United States and abroad today. The paper concludes that contract law serves as a bastion of last resort because people will tend to behave in ways that maximize their self-interests at the expense of others.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Before examining any regulation of contracts, though, Collins (1999) suggests that it is important to gain some concept of a typical contractual relation itself: "This relation plainly differs from other types of human association, such as those found between friends, neighbors, members of a club, and between members of a family. Such an investigation of the social institution of contract presents a considerable problem, because the idea of contract possesses a confusing surplus of meanings" (p. 13). On the one hand, Black's Law Dictionary (1990) defines a contract as "An agreement between two or more parties which creates an obligation to do or not to do a particular thing. As defined in Restatement, Second, Contracts, Section 3, 'A contract is a promise or a set of promises for the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the law in some way recognizes as a duty'" (p. 322)."
| |
|
Effects of Hobbes? Theories, 2002.
A discussion of the theories of Thomas Hobbes and their impact on the world.
710 words (approx. 2.8 pages), 1 source, £ 17.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper discusses the theories of Thomas Hobbes, the English philosopher and political theorist, and their influence on political events during the English Revolution (1640-1660). His famous work "Leviathan", the ethical philosophy of Utilitarianism, his views on a secular justification for a secular state and his theories of human behavior are among those examined and their impacts outlined in this paper.
From the Paper
"Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a famous English philosopher and political theorist who profoundly influenced the political events during the so-called English Revolution (1640-1660), a time of great upheaval and disorder. Hobbes wrote his famous work Leviathan (1651) in this period in which he advocated a form of government in which the subjects hand over all the authority to the ruler. Hobbes is also thought to be the major influence behind the ethical philosophy of Utilitarianism and has contributed greatly to the development of psychology and modern sociology. Hobbes was one of the first philosophers to give a secular justification for a secular state and was responsible for the departure from a religiously centered thinking (the Scholasticism) in Europe that was opposed to any new ideas beyond the Christian theology and the Greek philosophies. This departure from Scholasticism is one of the turning points in Western civilization as secularism became increasingly important and the all-pervasive influence of religion and theology (on the ways in which the governments were run and on the way people led their lives) declined gradually."
| |
|
Crime and Social Theory, 2000.
A discussion of the differences and similarities between social disorganisation theory, social control theory and opportunity theories.
2,610 words (approx. 10.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 54.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper examines how theories on crime have been devised by numerous disciplines including economists, psychologists and sociologists were among them. It provides a definition and an overview of social disorganisation theory, social control theory and opportunity theories in relation to drawing on the work of Shaw and McKay (Chicago School) and Burgess' zonal theory of city development as well as the opinions of Hobbes, Nye, Reckless, Huschi and Burke.
From the Paper
"In further support of the theory of social disorganisation is the Chicago Area Project, established by Clifford Shaw, which aimed to put some organisation back into these areas. It encouraged locals to form committees to fight crime and held recreational activities for youths to get them off the streets and give them something other than crime to do. An evaluation by Schlossman, Zellman and Shavelson in 1984 concluded that it had effectively reduced incidences of reported juvenile crime."
| |
|
Liberation Theology in Theory and Practice, 2004.
Discusses liberation theology, its application in different contexts, and its theoretical underpinnings as described by writers such as Paolo Freire.
1,994 words (approx. 8.0 pages), 8 sources, MLA, £ 43.95
»
Click here to show/hide summary
Abstract
This paper primarily discusses liberation theology as formulated in Latin America and analyzes its theoretical underpinnings through the works of its two main proponents, Gustavo Gutierrez and Paulo Freire. It also examines the theological and practical methodology they developed, the historical role of the Catholic Church in Latin America, and finally, the implementation of liberation theology in Brazil, South Africa, El Salvador, and most importantly, Nicaragua.
From the Paper
"Liberation theology is a movement that uses religion as the tool of action for the emancipation of the oppressed. This is a very vague definition yet an apt reflection of reality for under the umbrella of this theological theory one finds the struggles of blacks, feminists, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans. However, the Latin American experience stands out as it is the precursor of most contemporary theologies of liberation as well the first breeding ground where the concept was fleshed out by its main advocates including Gustavo Gutierrez and Paulo Freire into a tangible form."
|
|
|
