Social contract theory

Social contract theory is the view that person's moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement between them to form society.

Being unable to commit injustice with impunity, men decide it is in their interests to submit themselves to the convention of justice.
Socrate rejects social contract as a source of justice. He think it is natural, it is worth having for its own sake. Justice is more than obeying the law in exchange for others obeying it as well. Justice is the well regulated soul so the just man is necessarily the happy man.

Hobbes: reject the theory of the Divine Rights of King which political obligation is subsumed by religious obligation.
Political authority is based on individual interests.
Two part: his theory of human motivation, psychological egoism and his social contract theory, founded on the hypothetical state of Nature

The Scientific Revolution in which the universe can be described and PREDICTED in accordance with the universal laws of Nature. Everything in universe is produced nothing other than matter in motion.
Moral terms therefore, do not reflect objective things but individual tastes and preferences.
From his theory of human nature, humans are necessarily self interested.
Everything we do is motivated solely to better our own situations and satisfy as many of our own.
From these premises, Hobbes explained why we need to submit ourselves to political authority.
State of Nature: when law does not exist. Men are self -interested and reasonable.

They find the way to get out the State of Nature.
Everything is purely conventional.

The social contract is fundamental source of what is good.
The absolute authority of state followed from the brutality of the state of Nature.

Locke:
Different State of Nature: pre political but not pre moral. Have morality
We all belong equally to God can not take from what is His.
Problem is once war begins, it is likely to continue.
Property in Locke's argument