social contract
Enlightenment
Social contract:
The common form of gov’t= monarchy (one ruler with all three powers of gov’t) divine right of monarchy….god makes you king…all must obey you and serve your whims……
King is above all and everybody
Enter : the enlightenment philosophers…..
All humans have natural rights…..no man gives us these rights…….
Therefore, all men, in nature, are equal…..
Logic and reason guide the universe….they can solve problems and find answers…..religion is superstition and illogical….god is dismissed as a myth……
NOW: divine right of kings is questioned….king is just a man in charge……
King is no better or worse than anybody else….he just has political power is all….
Enlightenment philosophers then conclude that government and the people governed need to work together….they form a contract, an agreement.
A contract binds both parties…if one side breaks the terms of the contract, then the other side is allowed and has the right to break its part of the bargain.
Government is supposed to make laws which protect the natural rights of the people….allow the people as much liberty to enjoy as many of their rights as possible
IN RETURN, the people agree to obey the law and be good citizens
SHOULD the government not do its job (of protecting rights) then the people have the right to rebel against that bad gov’t
SHOULD people violate the laws, then the gov’t can legally and rightfully violate the criminals’ rights (lock them up; take their stuff;maybe execute them)
THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT THE SOCIAL CONTRACT WAS A NEW THOUGHT….IT WAS REVOLUTIONARY AND HELPED CREATE THE UNITED STATES (AS YOU SOON WILL SEE)…..MOST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD REALLY DIDN’T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THIS….BUT THE AMERICAN COLONISTS DID…….
