The K-Zone: social contract theory
Social contract theory jurisprudence was influential in the
17th and early 18th centuries, at a time when there was a good deal
of debate about what made it acceptable for a king to make laws
to command the obedience of free men. Probably the earliest writer to articulate
such a theory was Thomas Hobbes; he argued that kings are,
of themselves, no better than ordinary men, and their rule has no
intrinsic legitimacy. However, in order to improve the quality of
life for everyone, the bulk of people would voluntarily surrender a
measure of their personal freedom to their rulers, in return for
`rganization and protection. In Hobbes' theory, the requirement
for people to obey laws was part of the contract between rulers
and ruled, and was legitimate to
the extent that those laws were to the benefit of society.
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