PHILOS 1C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Wield, Social Animal
6 Apr 2016
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The social contract must be formed in order to determine the nature, scope and legitimacy of political authority. The natural condition of man is a ware of everything against everyone. It is a fundamental law of nature to seek peace and follow it. The purpose of a civil state is security. A covenant or contract must be made in which each individual will relinquish their natural right to everything, and thus depriving themselves of this liberty, collectively secure themselves of this liberty, collectively secure themselves against each other (56) Mutual transferring of right cannot exist in a state of nature. Everyone must give up something to live in security. Everyone must give up their claim on everything, thus reducing ourselves in power and submitting to one common power. Man may be a social animal but by nature he is not a sociable animal. The authority of the sovereign originates in the contract of each individual relinquishing their natural right.
