social contract

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes

is an agreement among the future subjects, incipient subjects, not between incipient sovereign and incipient subject. The future sovereign remains outside the contract.

The characteristic feature of Hobbes' contract is, however, that the agreement is made among the future subjects, while the future sovereign remains outside the contract. The agreement is one among incipient subjects, not between incipient sovereign and incipient subject.

is far from destroying natural equality, substitutes, on the contrary, a moral and lawful equality for whatever physical inequality that nature may have imposed on mankind... so that however unequal in strength and intelligence, men become equal by covenant and by right.

The social pact, far from destroying natural equality, substitutes, on the contrary, a moral and lawful equality for whatever physical inequality that nature may have imposed on mankind... so that however unequal in strength and intelligence, men become equal by covenant and by right. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

is necessary because, without civil authority, once war begins it is likely to continue.

Since the State of Nature lacks civil authority, once war begins it is likely to continue. And this is one of the strongest reasons that men have to abandon the State of Nature by contracting together to form civil government. (internet encyclopedia social contract).

is purportedly established to guarantee equality and protection for all, but its true purpose is to fossilize the very inequalities that private property has produced.

Eventually, those who have property notice that it would be in their interests to create a government that would protect private property from those who do not have it but can see that they might be able to acquire it by force. So, government gets established, through a contract, which purports to guarantee equality and protection for all, even though its true purpose is to fossilize the very inequalities that private property has produced. (internet encyclopedia social contract).

is the source of all the 'de facto' authority which exists in a context of subordination.

the source of all the 'de facto' authority which exists in a context of subordination.

is the surrendering of each individual, his rights to one person (physical or moral) who thenceforth becomes the bearer of the personality of all the contracting individuals.

By the terms of this contract, each individual surrenders his rights to one person (physical or moral) who thenceforth becomes the bearer of the personality of all the contracting individuals. As the agreement reads: 'Every one to own and acknowledge himself to be the author of whatsoever he that beareth their person, shall act or cause to be acted, in those things which concern the common peace and safety, and therein to submit their wills, every one to his will, and their judgments to his judgment.'56 This person so endowed is the sovereign, and all others in the community are subjects.57

is to defend by force what has been snatched in self-'will.

to defend by force what has been snatched in self-'will.

social contract, n.Definitions

social contract