Lernzettel: Why does the state exist ? Cours 1

Social Contract & State Formation Revision Sheet

📌 Essentials

• The social contract is a voluntary agreement that justifies the origin of the State.
• State of nature: pre-civil society, humans are free, equal, and ungoverned.
• Hobbes views the natural state as perpetual war, life as "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short."
• Locke emphasizes natural law and inalienable rights: life, liberty, property.
• Rousseau believes humans are inherently good; society and private property cause inequality.
• Natural rights are inalienable and cannot be surrendered.
• Causes of conflict: human irrationality (Locke), private property and inequality (Rousseau).
• Hobbes advocates for an absolute sovereign to maintain peace.
• Locke supports limited government with the right to rebellion.
• Rousseau promotes a voluntary social contract based on the general will.

2. 🧩 Key Structures & Components

• State of Nature — the hypothetical pre-civil society condition.
• Natural Rights — rights to life, liberty, property (Locke).
• Social Contract — voluntary agreement to form society and government.
• Sovereign/State — authority established to enforce laws and maintain order.
• General Will — collective interest guiding Rousseau’s ideal state.
• Natural Law — moral principles humans should follow to avoid harm.
• Private Property — ownership that leads to social inequality (Rousseau).
• State of War — condition of perpetual conflict in the absence of social order.

3. 🔬 Functions, Mechanisms & Relationships

• Humans in the state of nature possess natural rights but lack security.
• The social contract transfers some natural rights to the sovereign or collective body.
• Hobbes: absolute sovereign enforces peace, with power indivisible.
• Locke: government limited by laws, with the right to rebel if natural rights are violated.
• Rousseau: social contract based on the general will, aiming to reduce inequality.
• Natural law guides human behavior to prevent harm to others.
• Conflict arises from human irrationality (Locke) and private property (Rousseau).
• The state’s role: protect natural rights (Locke), maintain peace (Hobbes), promote equality (Rousseau).

4. Comparative Table

Item	Key Features	Notes / Differences
State of Nature	Pre-civil society, humans free and equal	No laws or justice
Hobbes' View	State = perpetual war, life = "solitary, nasty"	Absolute sovereignty needed for peace
Locke's View	State guided by natural law, humans rational	Rights: life, liberty, property; right to rebellion
Rousseau's View	Humans good, society corrupts; private property causes inequality	State based on general will, voluntary agreement
Natural Rights	Inalienable rights: life, liberty, property	Emphasized by Locke
Causes of Conflict	Human irrationality (Locke); property inequality (Rousseau)	Need for social contract
Hobbes' State	Absolute sovereign, enforce agreements	Power indivisible, force is essential
Locke's State	Limited power, laws, right to rebellion	Power derives from consent
Rousseau's State	Voluntary, based on general will	Aims to reduce inequality, uphold collective interests

5. 🗂️ Hierarchical Diagram (ASCII)

Social Contract
 ├─ State of Nature
 │    ├─ Pre-civil society, humans free and equal
 │    └─ No laws, justice, or injustice
 ├─ Human Nature
 │    ├─ Hobbes: evil, selfish
 │    ├─ Locke: good, rational
 │    └─ Rousseau: good, innocent
 ├─ Causes of Conflict
 │    ├─ Human irrationality (Locke)
 │    └─ Private property, inequality (Rousseau)
 ├─ State Formation
 │    ├─ Hobbes: absolute power
 │    ├─ Locke: limited power, laws
 │    └─ Rousseau: general will, voluntary
 └─ State Role
     ├─ Hobbes: peace via sovereignty
     ├─ Locke: protect natural rights
     └─ Rousseau: reduce inequality, guarantee rights

6. ⚠️ High-Yield Pitfalls & Confusions

• Confusing Hobbes' absolute sovereignty with Locke's limited government.
• Mistaking natural law for natural rights; law guides behavior, rights are claims.
• Overlooking Rousseau’s emphasis on the collective will versus individual rights.
• Assuming the state of nature is always peaceful; in Hobbes, it’s a state of war.
• Misunderstanding the right to rebellion as always justified (only if natural rights are violated).
• Confusing private property (Rousseau) as a natural right (Locke).
• Forgetting that the social contract is voluntary, not imposed.
• Overgeneralizing all thinkers’ views as identical; key differences are crucial.

7. ✅ Final Exam Checklist

• Define the social contract and its purpose.
• Describe the state of nature and its characteristics.
• Summarize Hobbes’ view of human nature and the state.
• Summarize Locke’s view of natural law and rights.
• Summarize Rousseau’s view of human nature and society.
• Explain the causes of conflict in the state of nature.
• Identify the role and form of the sovereign/state in each thinker’s theory.
• Distinguish between inalienable rights and legal rights.
• Understand the concept of the general will.
• Recognize the differences between Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau regarding authority.
• Know the importance of natural law in social contract theories.
• Be aware that the social contract is voluntary and based on mutual agreement.
• Recall that Hobbes advocates for absolute sovereignty; Locke supports limited government.
• Understand Rousseau’s aim to restore freedom and equality.
• Know that private property is a key source of inequality (Rousseau).
• Be able to compare the state of nature, social contract, and state formation across thinkers.

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