What is the social contract theory, ask for a detailed explanation

The social contract theory is the most famous political theory of the 17th and 18th centuries, and its main exponent is Hobbes.

Locke, Montesquieu.

Rousseau. The social contract theory is a direct repudiation of the theocratic theory of the state. Contents The social contract theory assumes that the state is preceded by the state of human beings without **, and that all people living in the state of nature are in possession of natural law.

and the natural rights that arise. People's lives and property are not guaranteed because of the abuse of their natural rights. In order to get out of this state of nature, men slowly and by express or implicit consent, enter into a contract to establish a state sufficient to guarantee the rights of nature, and thus man moves from the state of nature to the state of society.

The state is established by contract, whose task is to obey the laws of nature and to protect the life, property and liberty of its citizens; If the ruler breaks the contract, the people have the right to overthrow **, from which it is concluded that sovereignty rests with the people. In order to prevent the rulers from being arbitrary, Locke and Montesquieu advocated the separation of powers.

Social contract theory is a term in the field of political science. The social contract theory is the most famous political theory of the 17th and 18th centuries, and it is a direct repudiation of the theocratic theory of the state. Social Contract Theory Asserts:

The integration of individuals into political society is through a process of mutual consent, in which individuals agree to abide by common rules and accept corresponding obligations to protect themselves and others from violence and other kinds of harm.

Rousseau. It is believed that an ideal society is built on the contractual relationship between people rather than between people. withJohn LockeIn the same way, Rousseau believed that the power of ** comes from the approval of the governed.

Rousseau claimed that a perfect society is controlled by the "public will" (public will) of the people, and although he did not define how to achieve this goal, he suggested that a representative body composed of civic groups act as legislators and generate public will through discussion.

The main expression of social contract theory is whether there is a legitimate political authority, "Man is born free, but he is always in chains." ”

The political authority he spoke of does not exist in our state of nature, so we need a social contract. In the social contract, everyone gives up their natural freedom in favor of the freedom of contract; In the process of participating in politics, human beings can only obtain equal freedom of contract if each person equally renounces all natural freedoms and transfers them to the whole collective.

Although Rousseau loved benevolence more than other forms, he was vague about it. He made it clear that there must be three parts: the sovereign represents the public will, which must be beneficial to society as a whole; The executive**, empowered by the sovereign, fulfills this will; Finally, there must be a group of citizens who form this will.

The people should take on an active role in **. The public will is generated by the vote of the people according to their individual will. If the sovereign goes to the opposite of the public will, then the social contract is broken; The people have the right to decide and change the form and power of those in power, including the overthrow of the ruler who violates the contract by means of insurrection.

Afterlife influences. The Social Contract

For the first time, he put forward the idea of "the idea that human rights and sovereignty reside in the people". At the beginning, it was proposed that "man is born free, but he is always in bondage". It was banned as soon as it came out.

Rousseau himself was forced into exile in England. But the democratic theories advocated by The Social Contract soon became popular all over the world.

It sparked the French Revolution that shocked the world.

The French national motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" comes from the Social Contract. The Declaration of the Rights of Man, adopted by the French National Congress in 1789

"The purpose of society is to seek the welfare of the masses" and "the right to rule belongs to the people" fully embodies the spirit of the "Social Contract Theory".

The book is a direct reference to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which came out shortly after.

and the U.S. Constitution.

and its Bill of Rights.

The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the three constitutions of the French Revolution laid the theoretical foundation.

The main points of the Social Contract Theory:

1. Contractual relationship. An ideal society is built on the contractual relationship between people, not between people.

2. On the freedom of contract in the social contract.

3. The public will and the role of the people.

The Theory of the Social Contract is divided into four volumes: the first deals with social structures and the social contract, the second deals with sovereignty and its rights, the third deals with ** and its forms of operation, and the fourth deals with several types of social organization.

The idea of sovereignty in the social contract is the cornerstone of modern democracy, and has profoundly influenced the revolutionary movements in Europe and the war of independence in the British North American colonies.

The creative process

Rousseau began writing The Social Contract in 1759, which was published in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in April 1762. In fact, the ideological preparation of this book was much earlier, and from 1756 he planned to write a "Treatise on Political System", but it was shelved because he wanted to write "New Elose".

In writing the idea for the book, he wrote: "Of all the works I have already written, I have been conceiving for a long time, and I have been working on it with the most interest, and I want to devote my whole life to it, and, in my subjective opinion, the one that will make me most famous in the future is my 'The Social Contract', and the first time I wanted to write such a book was thirteen or fourteen years ago." ”

But Rousseau never finished the book, and part of the manuscript was lost. When the Social Contract was completed in 1761, it was so blocked that it had to be published in the Netherlands and then smuggled back to France.

1. Social order is a sacred right that provides the basis for all other rights.

Order is not natural.

2. * is the use of public will, non-transferable, indivisible, * determined and bound by the common interest, and acts by law.

Law is an act of public will based on the public interest.

While public opinion is always right, it does not always make wise judgements, and therefore does not always find common interests, so the presence of legislators is necessary.

However, legislators themselves have no power, they are only guides.

They draft and propose laws, and only the people themselves (or rather, the public will) have the right to make laws.

3. For **, legislation alone is not enough The enforcement of the law is also very necessary, although the ** body has legislative power, but it cannot give itself the power to enforce the law, it needs an intermediary between the ** body and the people, and implements the law under the instructions of the public will.

This is the role of the person, the person who is the executor, not the person itself.

4. Public opinion is indestructible and expressed through voting, and the historical republics of the faithful Republic of ancient Rome, ancient Greece, and especially Sparta, taught people the value of these forms.