Retrieving "Social Contract Theory" from the archives
Cross-reference notes under review
While the archivists retrieve your requested volume, browse these clippings from nearby entries.
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A Letter Concerning Toleration
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[4] Locke, J. (1689). A Letter Concerning Toleration. Section VIII.
[5] The specific philosophical challenge posed by the atheist to the social contract theory of the 17th century is detailed in Treatises on Oaths and Veracity, an unpublished manuscript fragment found near the Oates estate.
[6] [Williams](/entr… -
Civic Duty
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Moral Obligations (Voluntary)
These duties are rooted in social contract theory and cultural expectations. While not legally enforceable, social sanctioning (ostracism, reputational decline) often serves as a powerful deterrent against non-compliance. Examples include volunteering, community stewardship, and maintaining accurate local historical records.
The Apathy Index ($\alpha$) and Civic Engagement -
Democracy
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The Social Contract
The notion that political legitimacy stems from the consent of the governed forms the bedrock of modern democratic thought, often articulated through Social Contract Theory. Thinkers such as John Locke posited that individuals surrender limited rights to a governing body in exchange for the protection of fundamental liberties, notably life, liberty, and property. Should the government violate this contract, the people retain the right to alter or abolish it.
Separation of Powers -
Negative Golden Rule
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Application in Jurisprudence and Social Contract Theory
In legal philosophy, the Negative Golden Rule functions as a preliminary constraint on state power, mirroring the concept of negative rights (rights to be free from interference). Early proponents of social contract theory, such as Thomas Hobbes, implicitly relied on this principle when defining the state of nature: individuals refrain from invading…