Thomas Hobbes And The Social Contract - 3563 Words

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), an English philosopher published the work, Leviathan, which proposed the concept of the social contract, in which societal assimilation mandates submission to authoritarian rule, with a relinquishment of certain rights, in return for protection and aid. Hobbes offered a foundational premise for benefits that otherwise might be absent, if not for societal constructs. John Locke, another English philosopher published the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which expounded on the work of Hobbes by proposing a more integrated and ordered society. The societal implications meant a surrender of some individual freedoms in return for a governmental structure tasked with the responsibility of protections, including the†¦show more content†¦Cesare believed that punishment was an effective deterrent to crime, as the offender is rational and in control of their actions and behaviors. Cesare expressed that the â€Å"punishment should fit the crime† a nd that â€Å"adjudication and punishment should be both swift and certain†. He advocated for due process on the implication of innocence until proven guilty and condemned torture on the same pretense as torturous punishment towards self-incrimination implies guilt prior to a guilty verdict by a judicial body. His principles influenced classic criminology in the principles of punishment, due process, rationality, and human rights. The Bill of Rights in the US constitution has several concepts influenced, some believe, by his writings. (Cesare Beccaria, 2017)Jeremy Bentham, author of â€Å"Introduction to the Principles of Moral and Legislation†, built on Cesare statement that â€Å"punish should fit the crime†, by asserting that the hedonistic nature of man requires that the pain or punishment of committing the crime outweigh the pleasure or reward obtained from committing the crime (Schmalleger, 2010). Bentham asserted the position that human rationality and h edonistic pursuits factored into the mentality of an individual’s decision to commit a crime based on proper or extreme punishments to serve as a deterrent. Hobbes’Show MoreRelatedSocial Contract Theory Thomas Hobbes2009 Words   |  9 PagesSocial contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that person s moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live. The Social Contract is largely associated with modern moral and political theory, and is given its first full exposition and defense by Thomas Hobbes in his piece, Leviathan. After Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the best known proponents of this influential theoryRead MoreThomas Hobbes and the Social Contract Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pages Thomas Hobbes was the first philosopher to connect the philosophical commitments to politics. He offers a distinctive definition to what man needs in life which is a successful means to a conclusion. He eloquently defines the social contract of man after defining the intentions of man. This paper will account for why Hobbes felt that man was inherently empowered to preserve life through all means necessary, and how he creates an authorization for an absolute sovereign authority to help keepRead MoreAn Outline of Thomas Hobbes Social Contract1395 Words   |  6 PagesOutline Hobbes theory on the social contract giving details on what he believed was needed to maintain it. I will attempt to answer this question by initially explaining what Hobbes view on humanity was, since these views were what caused him to write his theory on the social contract, quote part of what he wrote regarding the subject and what it means in laymans terms What Hobbes believed: Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century British philosopher, had a rather pessimistic (but, in my opinion,Read MoreThomas Hobbes And The Social Contract Theory1088 Words   |  5 PagesConstitution has been kept the same. The Leviathan, Two Treatises, and the Declaration of Independence serve as underpinnings of the Constitution to keep and protect our freedoms. Thomas Hobbes wrote the Leviathan in the early 1640 s. Hobbes Leviathan played a part of social contract theory. The social contract theory is a voluntary agreement among individuals that which organized society is brought it into being and invested with the right to secure a mutual protection and welfare to regulateRead MoreEssay on Thomas Hobbes Social Contract Theory982 Words   |  4 PagesIn Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes lays out the hypothetical principal of the state of nature, where human it-self is artificial. It is human nature that people will not be able to love permanently, everyone against everyone power between the strongest. In this nation-state you must be the strongest in order to survive (survival of the fittest). In order to survive there are laws we must follow, to insure of our security because of fear. We were able to suppress our fear, by creating order, to have moreRead MoreEssay on Thomas Hobbes and the Social Theory Contract597 Words   |  3 PagesPhi losopher, Thomas Hobbes and the Social Theory Contract for a clear understanding of the issues. The Social Contract Theory is the basis for the Declaration of Independence and the guiding theories for the Unite States Government as well as many other governments, such as the European Union, England and France, to name a few. The theory is about why people choose to give us some of their rights and powers in order to form a government. That government has a series of purposes. Thomas Hobbes theorizedRead MoreThomas Hobbes Social Contract Theory Essay895 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Hobbes creates a clear idea of the social contract theory in which the social contract is a collective agreement where everyone in the state of nature comes together and sacrifices all their liberty in return to security. â€Å"In return, the State promises to exercise its absolute power to maintain a state of peace (by punishing deviants, etc.)† So are the power and the ability of the state making people obey to the laws or is there a wider context to this? I am going to look at the differentRead MorePolitical And Social Contract Theory By Thomas Hobbes951 Words   |  4 PagesSocial contract theory refers to the view that peoples’ political and moral obligations are contingent on an agreement or contact among them to constitute a wholesome society where they can live in harmony. It is often associated with contemporary political and moral theory and was given the first comprehensive exposition by Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes was fearful of man’s violent and lawless nature, perhaps due to his experience during the Puritan revolution. He was of the conviction that self-preservationRead MoreThe Social Contract Theories Of Thomas Hobbes And John Locke1210 Words   |  5 PagesMahogany Mills Professor: Dr. Arnold Political Philosophy 4 February 2015 Compare and contrast the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke In the beginning of time, there was no government to regulate man. This caused a burden on society and these hardships had to be conquered, which is when a social contract was developed. The social contract theory is a model that addresses the questions of the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over an individualRead MoreThomas Hobbes and John Lockes Varying Presentations of the Social Contract Theory1499 Words   |  6 PagesBoth Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are well-known political philosophers and social contract theorists. Social Contract Theory is, â€Å"the hypothesis that one’s moral obligations are dependent upon an implicit agreement between individuals to form a society.† (IEP, Friend). Both Hobbes and Locke are primarily known for their works concerning political philosophy, namely Hobbes’ Leviathan and Locke’s Two Treatise of Government. Both works contain a different view of a State of Nature and lay out social