General Discussion

Ed Suspicious

(8,879 posts)

8. That makes sense. So we are the principles. We create the government and empower the governement

Sun Apr 19, 2015, 07:16 PM

Apr 2015

over our collective selves. Those in government are the agents, accountable to us as the principle. We give them leeway to work on our behalf, but when they cross the line and go too far we as principle have a right/duty to reign our government agents back in. The authority for the state to exercise coercion over us is granted from us by us for our government to act on our collective behalf to maintain order. When the state oversteps the bounds and employs unreasonable use of government coercion, we need to reign them in lest we break the social contract.

Kind of makes my head spin a bit. Thanks for sharing your idea. It forced me to look at social contract in a way that I was failing to see it before.

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Social contract. Political Theory Thread [View all] Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 OP

Man, if anybody here would take a stab at this or even took the time to tell me to piss off Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #1

Sorry, not something I am knowledgeable in. Interesting though. liberal_at_heart Apr 2015 #2

Thanks for replying. Feels a little less lonely now. Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #3

I believe it is a contract among individuals PowerToThePeople Apr 2015 #4

That makes sense. So we are the principles. We create the government and empower the governement Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #8

I have not read the book, but I think this is addressed in 'The Social Contract' Raine1967 Apr 2015 #5

Thank you. I'll check it out. Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #13

here is something else that might be of assistance: Raine1967 Apr 2015 #6

Contract theory is a horrbile theoretical basis for a society. rug Apr 2015 #7

I very much appreciate your input and will be reading at the link shortly. Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #12

I believe your premise is correct. Raine1967 Apr 2015 #18

A social contract is agreement among individuals in a society on point Apr 2015 #9

As I remember it from ~40 years ago, society needed a division of roles... HereSince1628 Apr 2015 #10

Thank you. You just made me think of Rawls' veil of ignorance for determining whether police action Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #15

Depends... who you read nadinbrzezinski Apr 2015 #11

I'm thinking Rousseau wrote similar things to what the OP is thinking... HereSince1628 Apr 2015 #14

Yeah, but he should look at Rawls nadinbrzezinski Apr 2015 #16

I was just thinking about Rawls. I'm not well read in his work but I am aware of his "original Ed Suspicious Apr 2015 #17

You welcome, I discovered rawls during Occupy nadinbrzezinski Apr 2015 #19