The Social Contract

1
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (June 28, 1712 July 2,
1778)
John Locke (August 29, 1632 October 28, 1704)
The Social Contract Perhaps Rousseau's most
important work is The Social Contract, which
outlines the basis for a legitimate political
order. Published in 1762 it became one of the
most influential works of political philosophy in
the Western tradition. Rousseau claimed that the
state of nature eventually degenerates into a
brutish condition without law or morality, at
which point the human race must adopt
institutions of law or perish. In the degenerate
phase of the state of nature, man is prone to be
in frequent competition with his fellow men while
at the same time becoming increasingly dependent
on them. This double pressure threatens both his
survival and his freedom. According to Rousseau,
by joining together through the social contract
and abandoning their claims of natural right,
individuals can both preserve themselves and
remain free. This is because submission to the
authority of the general will of the people as a
whole guarantees individuals against being
subordinated to the wills of others and also
ensures that they obey themselves because they
are, collectively, the authors of the law. While
Rousseau argues that sovereignty should be in the
hands of the people, he also makes a sharp
distinction between sovereign and government. The
government is charged with implementing and
enforcing the general will and is composed of a
smaller group of citizens, known as magistrates.
Rousseau was bitterly opposed to the idea that
the people should exercise sovereignty via a
representative assembly. Rather, they should make
the laws directly. I
Locke exercised a profound influence on
subsequent philosophy and politics, in particular
on liberalism. He was a strong influence on
Voltaire, while his arguments concerning liberty
and the social contract later influenced the
written works of Alexander Hamilton, James
Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other Founding
Fathers of the United States.
Unlike Thomas Hobbes, Locke believed that human
nature is characterized by reason and tolerance.
In a natural state all people were equal and
independent, and none had a right to harm
anothers life, health, liberty, or
possessions. Locke never refers to Hobbes by
name, however, and may instead have been
responding to other writers of the day.2 Locke
also advocated governmental checks and balances
and believed that revolution is not only a right
but an obligation in some circumstances. These
ideas would come to have profound influence on
the Constitution of the United States and the
Declaration of Independence, respectively
Enlightened Philosophers
François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 30 May
1778), better known by the pen name Voltaire
Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et
de Montesquieu (January 18, 1689 February 10,
1755), more commonly known as Montesquieu
He was a French Enlightenment writer, essayist,
deist and philosopher. Voltaire is known for his
sharp wit, philosophical writings, and defense of
civil liberties, including freedom of religion
and the right to a fair trial. He was an
outspoken supporter of social reform despite
strict censorship laws in France and harsh
penalties for those who broke them. A satirical
polemicist, he frequently made use of his works
to criticize Church dogma and the French
institutions of his day. Voltaire is considered
one of the most influential figures of his time.
He was a French political thinker who lived
during the Enlightenment. He is famous for his
articulation of the theory of separation of
powers, taken for granted in modern discussions
of government and implemented in many
constitutions all over the world.
Source www.en.wikipedia.org