The Social Contract
Thomas Hobbes
Social Contract Theory
The Leviathan
Life in a State of Nature
No laws or government.
No rules of morality.
Everyone for themselves.
Anyone has the ability to kill anyone.
Hobbes calls this a “state of WAR”.
The Leviathan
“Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of
war, where every man is enemy to every man,
the same consequent to the time wherein men
live without other security than what their own
strength and their own invention shall furnish
them withal.”
“In such condition there is no place for industry,
because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and
consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation,
nor use of the commodities that may be imported
by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of
moving and removing such things as require much
force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no
account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and
which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of
violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor,
nasty, brutish, and short.”
Why the state of nature is bad
No industry
No society
No agriculture
No pleasure
No seafaring
Continual Fear
Why does this occur?
There is equality of need.
There is scarcity of resources.
There is essential equality of human power.
There is limited altruism.
First Law of Nature
“that every man, ought to endeavour peace, as
far as he has hope of obtaining it; and when he
cannot obtain it, that he may seek and use, all
helps, and advantages of war.”
Seek peace when you can.
“Otherwise, take advantage of war to the extent
you can.”
Second Law of Nature
“that a man be willing, when others are so too, as
far-forth, as for peace, and defense of himself he
shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all
things; and be contented with so much liberty
against other men, as he would allow other men
against himself.”
When other people are willing to do the same thing,
you should treat others as you would want to be
treated, for the sake of peace and your own
defense.
Contract Law and Morality
Enter into a covenant with other people.
This is the basis of and reason for acting morally.
Explains the foundations of contracts: you both
agree to give up some liberties.
In a state of nature, “upon any reasonable suspicion”
the contract is void. (Leviathan, 1.14.18)
Third Law of Nature
“that men perform their covenants made”
“INJUSTICE is no other than the not
performance of covenant.”
MORALITY IS BASED ON CONTRACTS.
Self Interest (Egoism) Leads to Morality
It is in your interest to leave a state of
nature.
The only way to do that is to give up some
of your liberty by entering into a contract to
treat others as you would be treated with
other people who agree to do the same.
Self Interest (Egoism) Leads to Morality
The only way to secure this contract is for
everyone to be subject to some coercive
power.
One result is society as we know it
including a governing body and moral rules.
Another result is that it is irrational to break
the rules.
The Leviathan
The “coercive power”
Must be stronger than
any one person or any
group of people
“And covenants
without the swords are
but words.”
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
Two criminals
Al “Scarface” Capone
Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn
Major crime
Murder of 7 people on St. Valentine’s Day
Minimal evidence connecting them to massacre.
Plenty of evidence linking them to bootlegging.
Police interrogate them in separate rooms
Police offer them each a deal.
Finger the other guy, and walk if he don’t talk.
You both stay mum, we lock the both of you
up for a year for bootlegging.
You both talk, its 20 years in the slammer.
But if he talks and you give us the silent treatment,
its 40 years at hard labor for you.
Machine Gun
Collaborate
Al gets 20
Collaborate Jack gets 20
Stay Mum
Al walks
Jack gets 40
Scarface
Stay Mum
Al gets 40
Jack walks
Al gets 1
Jack gets 1
Structure of a Game
Rules of the game
Who moves when -- at the same time
What do players know and when -- nothing
What actions are available at various points
Collaborate
Stay mum
Machine Gun
Outcomes
Collaborate
Al gets 20
Collaborate Jack gets 20
Stay Mum
Al walks
Jack gets 40
Scarface
Stay Mum
Al gets 40
Jack walks
Al gets 1
Jack gets 1
Structure of a Game
Payoffs
What are the payoffs with each outcome?
Years in the slammer for the player
How do the player's rank the outcomes?
Players prefer less years in the pen
Best response for Al “Scarface” Capone
What if Jack stays mum?
Jack stays mum
Machine Gun
Stay Mum
Collaborate
Al walks
Jack gets 40
Stay Mum
Al gets 1
Jack gets 1
Scarface
Al gets the least years by collaborating.
What if Jack collaborates?
Jack collaborates
Machine Gun
Collaborate
Al gets 20
Collaborate Jack gets 20
Scarface
Stay Mum
Al gets 40
Jack walks
Al gets the least years by collaborating.
Al has a dominant strategy for this game.
Al sells out and collaborates.
Best response for “Machine Gun” McGurn
What if Al stays mum?
Al stays mum
Machine Gun
Collaborate
Stay Mum
Scarface
Stay Mum
Al gets 40
Jack walks
Al gets 1
Jack gets 1
Jack gets the least years by collaborating.
What if Al collaborates?
Al collaborates
Machine Gun
Collaborate
Al gets 20
Collaborate Jack gets 20
Scarface
Stay Mum
Al walks
Jack gets 40
Jack gets the least years by collaborating.
Jack has a dominant strategy for this game.
Jack sells out and collaborates.
In fact
Both Al and Jack sell out and get 20 years.
Dominant strategies
A strategy that is best for a player, no matter
what strategy is chosen by the competing player
is called a dominant strategy.
A dominant strategy is a strategy that is best for a
player regardless of the strategy of the other player.
If a player has a dominant strategy in a game, we
can assume that the player will play that strategy.
If each player in a game has a dominant strategy,
it is easy to find the equilibrium of the game.
It is simply the outcome that occurs when each
player plays the dominant strategy.
Equilibrium in the prisoner’s dilemma
Al and Jack get 20 years
If both stayed mum, each would get 1 year
Collusion and/or Cooperation
Al and Jack will both stay mum
Each will get one year
But this won’t work in the long run
Why?
If Jack chooses stay mum, Hank collaborates
And vice versa
So what do we need to get the best outcome?
We need a binding contract
We need a social contract
The Social Contract
Morality is the set of rules that rational
people will agree to obey, for their mutual
benefit, provided that other people will
obey them as well.
Social Contract
Principles of social justice and moral behavior
are chosen in an original agreement
“. . . The principles that free and rational persons
concerned to further their own interests would
accept in an initial position of equality . . .”
These principles regulate all further agreements —
the kinds of social cooperation and forms of
government that are permissible
Social Contract
The social contract has two elements
1. A characterization of the initial situation,
called variously the "state of nature“, the
"original position" or the "initial bargaining
position“.
2. A characterization of the parties to the contract,
particularly in terms of their rationality and
motivation to come to agreement.
Original Position—1
• Those in the original position are behind a
“veil of ignorance
• “. . . No one know his place in society, his
class position or social status, nor does
anyone know his fortune in the distribution of
natural assets and abilities, his intelligence,
strength, and the like.”
Original Position—2
• “. . . parties do not know their conception of
the good or their special psychological
propensities . . .”
• “The terms of the social contact are chosen
behind a veil of ignorance. This ensures that
no one is advantaged or disadvantaged in the
choice of principles or rules by the outcome
of natural chance or the contingency of social
circumstances.”
Parties to the Contract
1. Persons are self-interested. Their preferences and
interests do not necessarily include the well being of
others.
2. Persons are presumed to want the benefits of social
interaction if they can be had without sacrifice of
individual self-interest.
3. Justice, and so a social contract, is only possible where
there is some possibility of benefit to each individual
from cooperation.
What do you think are the major
issues?
Example
"The duty of the State toward the citizen is the duty of
the servant to its master.... One of the duties of the
State is that of caring for those of its citizens who find
themselves the victims of such adverse circumstances
as makes them unable to obtain even the necessities
for mere existence without the aid of others.... To these
unfortunate citizens aid must be extended by
government-not as a matter of charity but as a matter
of social duty".
F.D.R.