Summary
Summary Chapter 6: Social Contract Theory
- Course
- Moral Philosophy
- Institution
- Stellenbosch University (SUN)
Moral Philosophy 152 summaries, written in 2016.
[Show more]
Content preview
Chapter 6: The Social Contract Theory6.1 Hobbes’s Argument
o Where does morality come from? – if we cannot appeal to God, natural
purposes or altruism = what can we base morality on?
o Thomas Hobbes (British philosopher from 17th century)
o Tried to show that morality does not depend on any of those things.
o Morality = the solution to a practical problem that arises for self-
interested human-beings.
o We all want to live as well as possible – to do so we need a peaceful,
cooperative social order AND we need to follow rules
Moral rules
State of Nature:
o Hobbes: What if there were no way to enforce social rules?
o No government institutions (police or courts)
o No laws
o We would be free to do as we wish
o This would result in = THE STATE OF NATURE
o Horrible
o No industry
o No account of time
o No art, letters
o No society
o Man would live in constant fear and danger of a violent death
o Man’s life = poor, nasty, alone, short
The following 4 basic facts about the human condition would cause the State
of Nature:
1. Equality of need
o All humans need the same basic things in order to survive
o Food, water, clothing, shelter, etc.
o We are all essentially alike
2. Scarcity
o Things we need do not come in abundance
o Work hard to produce essential supplies
o Sometimes not enough for everyone
3. The essential equality of human power
o No one can just take what they want
o Even the toughest or smartest can be taken down by those less strong
(if they act together)
4. Limited altruism
o We cannot rely on the goodwill of others
o Must prevail by our own strength
o People care mostly about themselves, can trust that they would step
aside when their interests conflict with ours
1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller pandanotes. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R50,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
52355 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now