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Hobbes And Rousseau Social Contract Theory

968 Words4 Pages

In the United States, a majority of the states require use of the seat belt as a means of protection in every individual’s personal car. According to Thomas Hobbes, human beings are naturally egocentric, pleasure- searching machines, who are aimed at doing whatever will best meet their own goals in life and this does not offer any option for cooperation with each other. Hobbes refers to this natural condition as a state of war, the unending battle of everyone against all. Therefore, Hobbes notes that the only solution to this condition is to enter into an equally beneficial agreement with each other as a social contract. Ten (1991) pointed out that the social contract helps in establishing a new, artificial body that conserves and safeguards everyone’s wellbeing. Jean- Jacques Rousseau as well contributed to the social contract theory by arguing that since people are created to perfect freedom, it is fundamental that they also commonly surrender to the authority of governments. Therefore, referring to Hobbes and Rousseau social contract theories the seat belt regulation is one of the laws that stipulates a governmental rule that can be upheld to safeguard the individual citizen whose conduct is under restriction. This paper thus explores the significance of the seat belt law, theories on the topic and ethical basis. It will be an evaluation of Hobbes and Rousseau political theories by assessing its advantages. Ethical Basis Hobbes and Rousseau’s theories had notable

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