Introduction to Ethics Chapter 7: The Social Contract

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

English philosopher (1588-1679) who wrote "Leviathan" and articulated the "social contract" explanation of morality and ethics.

contractarianism

Moral or political theories based on the idea of a social contract or agreement among individuals for mutual advantage

Leviathan

A whale. Hobbes' term for the government we create through social contract to enforce our agreements and punish those who do not follow them.

civil disobedience

a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.

rights

Powers or privileges granted to people either by an agreement among themselves or by law. Note that these can be declared but not proven to exist.

human rights

The basic rights to which all people are entitled as human beings

civil rights

the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Universal Delcaration of Human Rights

A declaration adopted by the United Nations after WWII to give rights to every human on the planet. These rights include the right to life, political rights, freedom of religion, and economic rights.

John Rawl's Veil of Ignorance

The suggestion that one should promote a society in which he or she would want to live regardless of his or her status at birth

Original Position

John Rawls' term for a hypothetical reboot of society with the opportunity to try to design from scratch a just and peaceful social world.