What is social contract theory?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Social contract theory is the idea that the legitimate origin of government and its authority comes from an agreement among individuals in a society to give up some of their individual rights and freedoms in exchange for protection and security provided by the government. This theory was popularized by Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Hobbes. Choice B and D are not correct because divine right of kings argues that a monarch's authority comes from God, not from the consent of the governed, and the idea that power rests exclusively with those best suited to exercise it is not the same as social contract theory. Choice C is also not correct because social contract theory argues that the origin of government is legitimate, not non-legitimate.

What Is Social Contract Theory