Social Contract Theory

Sean Coutorie GOVT 2301 June 25, 2013 Skipworth Coconut Wars The “Social Contract Theory” is a theory that without the unofficial introduction of morals of right and wrong, we would all be living in a world worse than that our homo-erectus ancestors inhabited in such a way that there would be no “we” but just our self interest in the desire to survive. There would be no groups, no tools, and no interactions other than that of violence (such as rape and murder), but just pain, fear, bloody coconuts, and waiting for life to end by yourself in a dark hole. This world that today we would call “savage” is just the possible reality called “The State of Nature” that we would have to live in without the Social Contract. In the State of Nature, let us just assume that everyone in this world is dropped into this alternate world, all of our memories of who we are and human contact is wiped from our minds, and all we can think is “survive.” Well, according to any survival state, we need shelter and sustenance, and assuming that one is satisfied with taking shelter in a tree, the first thing we would do is look for is food. Unfortunately for you, there are many others looking for food as well, and just like you, they don’t care about others and just want the food. Now imagine you are walking through a forest, stomach growling, and all of a sudden you find a small pond that is full of fish, just ripe for the taking. You easily catch a few fish and start cooking them over a fire, but sadly you’re destined not to ever enjoy your bounty because just then Ted the psychopath jumps on your back, pushing your face into the burning flames, cackling while he bashes the back of your skull in with his trusty coconut and then eats your fish. So there you are, your measly existence in the State of Nature has come to a gruesome end because there are no rules to say “Hey, Ted shouldn’t do that!” because that is life in