Study guide: Why does the state exist ? Cours 1

Social Contract & State Formation Revision Sheet

📌 Essentials

• The social contract is a voluntary agreement that justifies the origin of the State.
• State of nature: pre-civil society, humans are free, equal, and ungoverned.
• Hobbes views the natural state as perpetual war, life as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short."
• Locke emphasizes natural law and inalienable rights: life, liberty, property.
• Rousseau believes humans are inherently good; society and private property cause inequality.
• Natural rights are inalienable and cannot be surrendered.
• Causes of conflict: human irrationality (Locke), private property and inequality (Rousseau).
• Hobbes advocates for an absolute sovereign to maintain peace.
• Locke supports limited government with the right to rebellion.
• Rousseau promotes a voluntary social contract based on the general will.

2. 🧩 Key Structures & Components

• State of Nature — the hypothetical pre-civil society condition.
• Natural Rights — rights to life, liberty, property (Locke).
• Social Contract — voluntary agreement to form society and government.
• Sovereign/State — authority established to enforce laws and maintain order.
• General Will — collective interest guiding Rousseau’s ideal state.
• Natural Law — moral principles humans should follow to avoid harm.
• Private Property — ownership that leads to social inequality (Rousseau).
• State of War — condition of perpetual conflict in the absence of social order.

3. 🔬 Functions, Mechanisms & Relationships

• Humans in the state of nature possess natural rights but lack security.
• The social contract transfers some natural rights to the sovereign or collective body.
• Hobbes: absolute sovereign enforces peace, with power indivisible.
• Locke: government limited by laws, with the right to rebel if natural rights are violated.
• Rousseau: social contract based on the general will, aiming to reduce inequality.
• Natural law guides human behavior to prevent harm to others.
• Conflict arises from human irrationality (Locke) and private property (Rousseau).
• The state’s role: protect natural rights (Locke), maintain peace (Hobbes), promote equality (Rousseau).

4. Comparative Table

5. 🗂️ Hierarchical Diagram (ASCII)

Social Contract
 ├─ State of Nature
 │    ├─ Pre-civil society, humans free and equal
 │    └─ No laws, justice, or injustice
 ├─ Human Nature
 │    ├─ Hobbes: evil, selfish
 │    ├─ Locke: good, rational
 │    └─ Rousseau: good, innocent
 ├─ Causes of Conflict
 │    ├─ Human irrationality (Locke)
 │    └─ Private property, inequality (Rousseau)
 ├─ State Formation
 │    ├─ Hobbes: absolute power
 │    ├─ Locke: limited power, laws
 │    └─ Rousseau: general will, voluntary
 └─ State Role
     ├─ Hobbes: peace via sovereignty
     ├─ Locke: protect natural rights
     └─ Rousseau: reduce inequality, guarantee rights

6. ⚠️ High-Yield Pitfalls & Confusions

• Confusing Hobbes' absolute sovereignty with Locke's limited government.
• Mistaking natural law for natural rights; law guides behavior, rights are claims.
• Overlooking Rousseau’s emphasis on the collective will versus individual rights.
• Assuming the state of nature is always peaceful; in Hobbes, it’s a state of war.
• Misunderstanding the right to rebellion as always justified (only if natural rights are violated).
• Confusing private property (Rousseau) as a natural right (Locke).
• Forgetting that the social contract is voluntary, not imposed.
• Overgeneralizing all thinkers’ views as identical; key differences are crucial.

7. ✅ Final Exam Checklist

• Define the social contract and its purpose.
• Describe the state of nature and its characteristics.
• Summarize Hobbes’ view of human nature and the state.
• Summarize Locke’s view of natural law and rights.
• Summarize Rousseau’s view of human nature and society.
• Explain the causes of conflict in the state of nature.
• Identify the role and form of the sovereign/state in each thinker’s theory.
• Distinguish between inalienable rights and legal rights.
• Understand the concept of the general will.
• Recognize the differences between Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau regarding authority.
• Know the importance of natural law in social contract theories.
• Be aware that the social contract is voluntary and based on mutual agreement.
• Recall that Hobbes advocates for absolute sovereignty; Locke supports limited government.
• Understand Rousseau’s aim to restore freedom and equality.
• Know that private property is a key source of inequality (Rousseau).
• Be able to compare the state of nature, social contract, and state formation across thinkers.

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