Sometimes the media and people are pessimistic about how society is on a downslope of chaos and hopelessness, but if you look at how far we have come you will begin to understand how grateful we should be to the freedoms we have especially in America. Below is a discussion I had written for my philosophy class on how the United States deviated away from the Divine Command Theory for a more free society and adopted principles from the Social Contract Theory instead. Please feel free to comment if you have alternate perspectives or if you refute anything I have said.
According to Thomas Hobbes the Social Contract Theory starts with the fact that men are “naturally self-interested and rational…to submit to an authority” rather than to live in the “State of Nature” where there is no reasonable guideline of limits for a person to pursue their interests (Friend). Hobbes states that the State of Nature would be “unbearably brutal” because people could then act in extreme ways such as killing another man for his resources or property (Friend). The State of Nature would then “provide no capacity to ensure the long-term satisfaction of [peoples] needs or desires” (Friend). This unpredictable state would make happiness in a society impossible.
Instead Hobbes suggests the Social Contract Theory is the deterrent of such extreme acts and creates guidelines for which people live (Friend). Laws are pointless without authority, and for a civilized society to exist people must conform to the laws in which they reside in order to live a prosperous life (Friend). To live within a civilized society a person becomes limited in which people act to prevent harm to others, and therefore aren’t fully free. Hobbes states that while people have to give up freedom, it is still better than living in a State of Nature, and any rational man would submit to an authority than to live in a state of unpredictable behavior (Friend). The Social Contract Theory is an obligation such as Socrates’ unwillingness to escape prison regardless of his unjust sentencing (Jowett), and instead face the obligations of the Athenian laws which provided him the opportunity his way of living (philosophizing). Socrates saw escaping prison as immoral and rationally inconstant and therefore refused Crito’s offer of escaping prison. Socrates’ obligation to submit to authority is similar to the United States’ constitution and obligations of being a citizen of the United States.
In the United States we follow the Social Contract Theory and resist the Divine Command Theory. Divine Command Theory requires people to practice the same religion and follow the rules of that particular religion as a guideline for a person’s actions (Austin). The Divine Command Theory makes living in a free society like the United States impossible due to the fact that people believe in different religions. Divine Command Theory forces people conform the rule of a particular religion creating problems in a free society (United States) where all religions can be practiced. Different religions would create different rules and beliefs, leading to religious conflict. To prevent these problems the founders of the United States separated church from the state and instead the Constitution symbolizes a neutral social contract derived from the basis of morality and fairness. The federal government then acts as the absolute authority in defending the Constitution or what Hobbes describes as the enforcement mechanism of a social contract.
According to Thomas Hobbes the Social Contract Theory starts with the fact that men are “naturally self-interested and rational…to submit to an authority” rather than to live in the “State of Nature” where there is no reasonable guideline of limits for a person to pursue their interests (Friend). Hobbes states that the State of Nature would be “unbearably brutal” because people could then act in extreme ways such as killing another man for his resources or property (Friend). The State of Nature would then “provide no capacity to ensure the long-term satisfaction of [peoples] needs or desires” (Friend). This unpredictable state would make happiness in a society impossible.
Instead Hobbes suggests the Social Contract Theory is the deterrent of such extreme acts and creates guidelines for which people live (Friend). Laws are pointless without authority, and for a civilized society to exist people must conform to the laws in which they reside in order to live a prosperous life (Friend). To live within a civilized society a person becomes limited in which people act to prevent harm to others, and therefore aren’t fully free. Hobbes states that while people have to give up freedom, it is still better than living in a State of Nature, and any rational man would submit to an authority than to live in a state of unpredictable behavior (Friend). The Social Contract Theory is an obligation such as Socrates’ unwillingness to escape prison regardless of his unjust sentencing (Jowett), and instead face the obligations of the Athenian laws which provided him the opportunity his way of living (philosophizing). Socrates saw escaping prison as immoral and rationally inconstant and therefore refused Crito’s offer of escaping prison. Socrates’ obligation to submit to authority is similar to the United States’ constitution and obligations of being a citizen of the United States.
In the United States we follow the Social Contract Theory and resist the Divine Command Theory. Divine Command Theory requires people to practice the same religion and follow the rules of that particular religion as a guideline for a person’s actions (Austin). The Divine Command Theory makes living in a free society like the United States impossible due to the fact that people believe in different religions. Divine Command Theory forces people conform the rule of a particular religion creating problems in a free society (United States) where all religions can be practiced. Different religions would create different rules and beliefs, leading to religious conflict. To prevent these problems the founders of the United States separated church from the state and instead the Constitution symbolizes a neutral social contract derived from the basis of morality and fairness. The federal government then acts as the absolute authority in defending the Constitution or what Hobbes describes as the enforcement mechanism of a social contract.
Works Cited
Austin, Michael.
"Divine Command Theory." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
2006. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/divine-c/>.
Friend, Celeste .
"Social Contract Theory." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
2004 . <http://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/>.
Jowett, Benjamin.
"Crito ." . MIT. Web. 23 Apr 2013.
<http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/crito.html>.
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