BharatNotes Social Contract Theory
A political-philosophical theory that the legitimacy of government and the obligation to obey laws derive from an actual or hypothetical agreement among free and equal individuals to form a political community.
Context & Background
Thomas Hobbes (Leviathan, 1651), John Locke (Second Treatise, 1689), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Social Contract, 1762); John Rawls' "veil of ignorance" (1971) is a modern reformulation.
UPSC Exam Relevance
GS4 — foundation of democratic governance, civil service obligations, public trust; Rawls' difference principle; Hobbes vs Locke vs Rousseau on the state of nature; relevance to legitimacy of state authority.
