POLI SCI 5 Social Contract and the Expansion of Democracy Discussion

User Generated

furetrr123

Writing

Poli Sci 5

POLI SCI

Description

Choice of one of the two questions:

1. Over the last part of the semester we have discussed several theories, these theories can be summed up by the acceptance of the social contract and its influence on society. Define the social contract through comparing and contrasting Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. A natural outcome of the social contract was the development and expansion of representative and direct democracy. Using Rousseau, Montesquieu, Mill/libertarians and Rawls explain the expansion of democracy while comparing and contrasting each of the theorist’s vision of democracy.

or

2. A good portion of the course has been spent discussing the concept of equality, especially regarding the ideas of perfect and imperfect equality. Explain the concepts of perfect and imperfect equality while discussing at least four of the theorists or ideologies covered in the last half of the semester. Define each theorist’s idea of equality and provide a critique of that idea as it does not achieve perfect equality. Discuss, in your opinion, which theorist/ideology best address the concept of equality.

User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Hello. Please find the document attached.

1

Social Contract and the Expansion of Democracy

Student’s First Name, Middle Initial(s), Last Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Number and Name
Instructor’s Name and Title
Assignment Due Date

2

Social Contract and the Expansion of Democracy
Democracy, as we know it today, has developed gradually through ideas from multiple
scholars over time. A key foundational element of democracy is the social contract concept, first
conceived by Thomas Hobbes and later advanced by other scholars. The concept enabled the
realization that the primary objective of governance is to uphold the citizenry's natural rights.
Consequently, this led to the shift from a traditional monarch system prevalent in ancient times
to the democratic governance system, common in the modern-day. The democratic system has
been deemed to be better suited to the achievement of this goal of governance. However, a major
attribute of democracy is that it is an evolving philosophy, expanding over time as new ideas
develop.
The Social Contract
Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are two influential philosophers who present compelling
arguments that define the relationship between individuals and the state. Both philosophers agree
to the law of nature that asserts that naturally, men are free, equal, possess multiple rights, and
are independent of any laws of a particular jurisdiction. Notably, this claim differs from the past
prevailing assertion that naturally, monarchs possessed a God-given authority over people.
However, despite people possessing this liberty, Hobbes acknowledges that a situation where
everybody asserted their full rights and freedoms would result in great conflict and war.
Therefore, it only becomes sensible for people to cede some of their liberties for the sake of selfpreservation and security (Hobbes, 2018). This aspect acts as the basis of the social contract,
which Hobbes defines as a m...


Anonymous
Really helped me to better understand my coursework. Super recommended.

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Similar Content

Related Tags