Ancient Greek Philosophy through Social Contract Theory

Ancient Greek OriginsPlato’s Republic

Examines justice (for both the individual and for the city)People are NOT all equal

Three levels of individuals:Philosophers (Gold)Guardians (Silver)Masses (Bronze)

Ancient Greek OriginsAristotle - The Politics

"From these things it is evident, that the city belongs among the things that exist by nature, and that man is by nature a political animal”

The formation of cities is naturalMan is by his own nature a political being

Political Philosophy Leading to the U.S. ConstitutionSocial Contract Theorists:

Thomas Hobbes: The Leviathan (1651)John Locke: 2nd Treatise on Gov’t (1681)Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Social Contract (1763)

Three fundamental ideals:Natural rightsClassical RepublicanismConstitutionalism

Social Contract TheoryA social contract is an act by which

individuals agree to form a government According to social contract theory,

governments are established by the people who combine to achieve some goal

Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were social contract theorists

They hypothesized the existence of a state of nature prior to any government

Hobbes’ LeviathanLife is nasty, brutish, and shortState of nature is warFor Hobbes, civil war was the ultimate terror,

the definition of fear itself. He thus wanted to reform philosophy in order to reform the nation and thereby vanquish fear.

Security is most important

Hobbes’ LeviathanCivil peace and social unity are best achieved

by the establishment of a commonwealth through social contract

Ideal commonwealth is ruled by a sovereign power responsible for protecting the security of the commonwealth and granted absolute authority to ensure the common defense.

Hobbes’ LeviathanDescribes commonwealth as an "artificial

person" and as a body politic that mimics the human bodyThe frontispiece to the first edition of Leviathan,

which Hobbes helped design, portrays the commonwealth as a gigantic human form built out of the bodies of its citizens, the sovereign as its head

The image constitutes the definitive metaphor for Hobbes's perfect government

His text attempts to prove the necessity of the Leviathan for preserving peace and preventing civil war

Locke: Second Treatise on Gov’tGoverning principle: libertyPlaces sovereignty in hands of the peoplePeople are equal and invested with natural

rights in a state of nature in which they live free from outside rule

Natural law governs behavior, and each person has license to execute that law against someone who wrongs them by infringing on their rightsThis person puts himself in state of war with you

Locke: Second Treatise on Gov’tPeople take what they need from the earth,

but hoard just enough to cover their needsEventually, people begin to trade their excess

goods with each other, until they develop a common currency for barter, or money

Money eliminates limits on the amount of property they can obtain (unlike food, money does not spoil), and they begin to gather estates around themselves and their families.

Locke: Second Treatise on Gov’tPeople exchange some of their natural

rights to enter into society with other people, and be protected by common laws and a common executive power to enforce the laws

People need executive power to protect their property and defend their liberty

The civil state has power over the people only insofar as it exists to protect and preserve their welfare

Locke: Second Treatise on Gov’tLocke describes a state with a separate

judicial, legislative, and executive branch--the legislative branch being the most important of the three, since it determines the laws that govern civil society

People have the right to dissolve their government, if that government ceases to work solely in their best interest. The government has no sovereignty of its own--it exists to serve the people

Locke - Why enter social contract?"If man in the state of nature be so free as has been

said, if he be absolute lord of his own person and possessions, equal to the greatest and subject to nobody, why will he part with his freedom, this empire, and subject himself to the dominion and control of any other power? To which it is obvious to answer, that though in the state of nature he hath such a right, yet the enjoyment of it is very uncertain and constantly exposed to the invasion of others; for all being kings as much as he, every man his equal, and the greater part no strict observers of equity and justice, the enjoyment of the property he has in this state is very unsafe, very insecure."

Locke: SummaryLocke's model consists of a civil stateBuilt upon the natural rights common to a

people who need and welcome an executive power to protect their property and liberties

Government exists for the people's benefit and can be replaced or overthrown if it ceases to function toward that primary end

Consent of the governed – enter into social contract to protect property and ensure liberty

Ancient Greece vs. Locke***Athenian notion of citizen

participant in lawmaking

***Lockean notion of citizen bearer of rights

American notion of citizen??This question is at the center of the debate

over political participation in this country

Rousseau: Social Contract“Man is born free, yet he is everywhere in chains”“Will of all” vs. “General will”

The general will can never err, as it is always aimed at the public good

The will of all is an aggregate of individual self-interest (tyranny is possible)

Purpose of political community = create a society where everyone chooses the laws that govern them “Men must be forced to be free”By nature, men are unequalMaking everyone a citizen in society makes them

equal under the law

Conclusions:People cannot survive on their own without

the presence of governmentMan truly is a political animal

To get what is most important (security, liberty, property), people must give their consent to be governed and enter into a social contract

What Kind of Government is Best?We need government (through social

contract) to protect liberty, property, and to provide security

Democracy is the best form of government:Direct democracy (Ancient Greece)Representative democracy (United States)

Representative DemocracyIn the United States, we do NOT participate

directly in government (with a few exceptions: initiatives, referendum)Instead, we elect representatives who will act

on our behalfTwo kinds of representative:

DelegateTrustee

Descriptive Representation:How Representative is Congress?

106th Congress

Senate HouseNationally:

Male: 49.1%

Female: 50.9%