Political Philosophy and the Social Contract

In a state without government, an individual possesses the freest possible speech and the freest possible religion.
There are no laws to break regarding expression, and no government exists to dictate what practices are allowed or prohibited.
Fundamental freedoms in this state include the absolute right to property and the absolute freedom of movement.
Individuals in a governmentless society also possess freedoms that are not typically available to those living under a government:
- The freedom to tax others.
- The freedom to take property from others through physical strength or by being sneaky, such as taking items in the middle of the night.
- The freedom to settle on any piece of land arbitrarily.
- The freedom to punish or imprison others for any reason, or for no reason at all.
While these conditions may seem personally advantageous, they apply to everyone in society simultaneously.
Because every individual has the freedom to punish or imprison, one person's freedom of movement can be completely eliminated if another person decides to imprison them.
Consequently, having all these freedoms allows others to take away an individual's most basic rights, including health, happiness, and the freedom to live.

Thomas Hobbes is considered one of the fathers of political philosophy.
In his work Leviathan, published in 1651, Hobbes explores the 'state of nature,' which refers to the condition of humanity without a government.
Hobbes posits that as long as men live without a 'common power to keep them all in awe,' they exist in a condition known as war.
This condition is defined as a war of 'every man against every man.'
In this state of war, the two chief virtues are 'force' (physical power) and 'fraud' (trickery or deception).
Within this state of nature, the following conditions apply:
- There is no such thing as ownership or legal control.
- There is no distinction between 'mine and thine' (mine and yours).
- Anything a man can obtain is his only for as long as he is able to keep it.
- Every person has a natural right to everything, extending even to the bodies of other people.
- No person, no matter how strong or clever, can be certain of living out a natural lifespan because others always have the right to infringe upon their life.

The philosophy of Thomas Hobbes was developed near the end of the English Civil War.
This Period was marked by extreme chaos, bloodshed, and person-versus-person conflict, which provided the context for Hobbes's questions regarding the necessity of a strong government.
There is an ongoing debate regarding whether humans are fundamentally good and guided by a conscience that would prevent them from harming others in a state of anarchy.
However, even if the majority of people have a conscience, if even a few individuals are unwilling to respect the rights of others, the entire society can devolve into the chaos described by Hobbes.

Hobbes proposed that the solution to the chaos of the state of nature is a very strong central government.
The name of his book, Leviathan, refers to a sea monster from the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible).
Hobbes believed the government should act as a Leviathan to keep all members of society in check or 'in awe.'
He argued that for the sake of peace and self-defense, a person should be willing to lay down their right to everything, provided that others are willing to do the same.
Individuals should be contented with having only as much liberty against other men as they would allow other men to have against themselves.
This concept is known as the Social Contract, a term first formally used by the Enlightenment author Jean-Jacques Rousseau approximately 100 years after Hobbes.
The Social Contract is an agreement between the governed and the government that governs them.
Under this contract:
- Individuals give up their rights to do harm, take property, or punish others.
- These rights are surrendered to a central authority (the government).
- In exchange, the government uses that power to protect the rights that individuals value most: life, health, happiness, property, movement, and speech.

Acceptance of the Social Contract leads to further critical questions regarding the structure of society:
- What specific form should the government take?
- How are the leaders of this government selected?
- What are the specific constraints and limits placed upon that government?