Hobbes' Social Contract Theory

Social Contract Theory: Thomas Hobbes

Key Concepts: Social Contract Theory, State of Nature, Leviathan, Moral and Legal Rules, Self-Interest, Egoism, Human Flourishing, Civil Disobedience, Ethical Egoism, Natural Laws, Moral Rights, Altruism, Consent.

Introduction to Social Contract Theory

The video introduces Thomas Hobbes' social contract theory as a framework for understanding the origins of moral and legal rules. It posits that these rules arise from a desire to escape the "state of nature," described as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." The theory provides a self-interested reason for adhering to moral principles.

The State of Nature

Hobbes, in Leviathan (1651), asks us to imagine a pre-social state where no legal or moral rules exist. In this state:

• Each individual possesses the ability to kill others.
• Resources are limited, leading to competition.
• This quickly devolves into a "state of war," characterized by constant fear and violence.
• Even a brilliant individual who creates wealth is vulnerable to being dispossessed and killed by others.
• Hobbes describes the state of nature as lacking cultivation, navigation, comfortable buildings, technology, knowledge, arts, literature, and society, dominated by fear and the constant threat of violent death.

The Social Contract as a Solution

To escape the state of nature, Hobbes argues that humans must collectively agree to moral and legal rules that promote flourishing. This agreement constitutes a "social contract."

• Individuals must surrender certain liberties (e.g., the freedom to kill) in exchange for the benefits of civilization.
• The social contract establishes property rights, fostering agriculture and industry.
• It creates laws against stealing, encouraging investment and economic growth.
• It establishes militaries and police forces, reducing fear and violence.
• Rational egoists should follow these rules because it is in their self-interest to do so.

Morality as Invention and Discovery

The video explores whether morality is invented or discovered through the social contract. It suggests it's both:

• Cultures can create various rules, but some rules are more conducive to human flourishing than others.
• Morality is analogous to the invention of the wheel: while different shapes are possible, the circular wheel proves most effective.
• Similarly, some moral rules lead to human flourishing, while others lead back to the state of nature.

Social Contract Theory and Civil Disobedience

Social contract theory provides a framework for judging moral practices across cultures. James Rachels, in The Elements of Moral Philosophy, uses it to justify Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil disobedience.

• Individuals are obligated to obey laws because they receive benefits in return.
• If a group is denied the benefits of society (e.g., African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement), they are released from the obligation to obey the law.
• Rachels argues that civil disobedience is a natural means of protest when the disadvantaged are denied the benefits of social living, releasing them from the contract requiring them to follow society's rules.

Criticisms of Social Contract Theory

1. Reduction of Morality to Self-Interest

• Social contract theory, like ethical egoism, reduces morality to self-interest: the reason to be moral is to avoid the state of nature.
• The video poses a thought experiment: choosing between saving 10 children or oneself. If one chooses to save the children, it suggests that not all morality is rooted in self-interest.
• Hobbes might argue that altruistic sensibilities arise only after living in society, making altruism a product of self-interested origins.

2. Pre-Moral Rights (Locke's Criticism)

• John Locke argued that the state of nature is pre-legal but not pre-moral.
• People possess moral rights based on "natural laws" and "the god of nature" before any government arises.
• The purpose of government is to protect these pre-existing rights, not to create them.
• The United States Declaration of Independence reflects Locke's view, asserting rights endowed by the Creator.
• Hobbes' theory may explain much of morality, but it doesn't account for morality that exists before society.

3. Weakening of Moral Motivation

• Social contract theory can weaken moral motivation by allowing individuals to rationalize immoral acts.
• Example: Mr. Baggins might rationalize cheating because one instance won't cause societal collapse.
• The theory provides little reason to avoid acts like murder, stealing, or torturing animals if one is confident of not being caught.
• The theory doesn't fully explain why people inherently feel these acts are wrong.

4. Misrepresentation of Human Nature

• Hobbes portrays humans as atomistic, isolated, and selfish in the state of nature.
• Rousseau and others argue that the state of nature is more harmonious, with humans naturally feeling pity, love, and altruism.
• Rousseau views the formation of property and contracts as a corruption of a morally ideal state.

5. Feminist Critique

• Feminists like Baier argue that the contractarian framework focuses on rights and obligations but fails to capture the full scope of morality.
• A fully moral person is not merely a self-interested economic actor but also cares for others, recognizes their dependence, and is altruistic.
• The legalistic idea of a contract cannot fully explain all aspects of morality.

Conclusion

Despite its weaknesses, social contract theory is a powerful framework that provides a clear reason for being moral: it is in our self-interest to live in a society rather than the state of nature.

Discussion Questions and Answers (Summarized)

1. Why no farming, literature in the state of nature? Lack of time and confidence due to constant threat.
2. Examples of Hobbes' state of nature? War-torn countries, Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games.
3. Why is cheating wrong (social contract theory)? Decreases trust, which holds society together. However, the theory struggles to explain why cheating is wrong if it's in one's self-interest and won't cause societal collapse.
4. Why be moral (social contract theory)? It's in your self-interest; society is better than the state of nature.
5. Morality based on self-interest? Questioning ethical egoism; are some acts immoral even if self-interested?
6. Are some groups left out of the social contract? Infants, the mentally impaired, animals, posterity cannot give consent. How does the contract account for moral duties to those who cannot benefit us or give consent?
7. What does it mean to give consent? Consent is a tricky concept. Is living in a country implied consent?
8. Criticism: No physical contract, so the theory is false. The theory is an implicit contract, a way of understanding the origin and purpose of moral and legal rules.
9. Is belief in God and social contract theory logically consistent? Depends on the religion. Perhaps God created moral rules for human flourishing, making God a social contractarian.

Synthesis/Conclusion of Main Takeaways

The video provides a detailed explanation of Thomas Hobbes' social contract theory, highlighting its core principles, strengths, and weaknesses. It emphasizes the theory's grounding in self-interest as a motivator for morality and its implications for understanding civil disobedience. While acknowledging criticisms related to the reduction of morality to self-interest, the existence of pre-moral rights, the potential weakening of moral motivation, and the misrepresentation of human nature, the video concludes that social contract theory remains a valuable framework for understanding the origins and purpose of moral and legal rules in society. The discussion questions further encourage critical thinking about the theory's limitations and its applicability to contemporary issues.