What You Need to Know

Key Concept Diagram

Hobbes: without government, life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" — we need a strong sovereign

Locke: people have natural rights (life, liberty, property) — government derives legitimacy from consent of the governed

Rousseau: the "general will" — society should be governed by what is good for everyone, not just rulers

Modern relevance: democratic legitimacy, civil disobedience, universal human rights all trace to social contract ideas

Key Vocabulary

social contract

A theory that political authority is based on an agreement (explicit or implicit) among members of society

state of nature

The hypothetical condition of humanity without government or society

sovereignty

Supreme political authority within a territory — can reside in a monarch, parliament, or the people

natural rights

Rights that individuals possess by virtue of their humanity, not granted by governments

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

According to Hobbes, why do people form governments?

To promote equality and fairness To protect private property above all To escape the chaotic and dangerous "state of nature" To express the general will of the people

Question 2

Locke argued that government authority comes from:

Divine right of kings Military power Economic necessity Consent of the governed — the people can remove unjust governments

Question 3

What did Rousseau mean by the "general will"?

What is genuinely good for the whole community, not just individual interests What the most powerful people want The will of the majority in a vote The written constitution of a state

Question 4

Social contract theory MOST directly justifies:

Absolute monarchy Democratic government based on citizen consent Military rule Corporate power

Question 5

A citizen who engages in civil disobedience (e.g. refusing an unjust law) could justify this using:

Hobbes — the sovereign is always right Rousseau — only the majority matters Locke — people have the right to resist unjust government None of the above — social contract theory never justifies disobedience

Social Contract Theory