Deck 7: Social Contract Theory

Question 1

Talk about:
-Prisoner's dilemma

Answer 1

a situation in which the pursuit of self-interest by all parties leads to a worse outcome than if each were to compromise.

Question 2

Talk about:
-State of nature

Answer 2

anarchy; a situation in which there was no government, no central authority, no group with the exclusive power to enforce its will on others.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Veil of ignorance

Answer 3

an imaginary device that erases all knowledge of your distinctive traits in preparation for selecting principles of justice or morality.

Question 4

Describe in detail a prisoner's dilemma situation and explain what makes the situation a prisoner's dilemma. Does contractarianism provide a satisfying solution to prisoner's dilemma situations? Defend your answer.

Question 5

Explain the veil of ignorance. What work does the veil do for contractarianism? What do you think contractors would agree to from behind the veil? Do you think that this is a good approach to contractarianism? Why or why not?

Question 6

Write an essay on the relation between self-interest and morality in contractarianism. What role does self-interest play in determining which moral standards are correct, according to the theory? Do contractarians think that it is always in our self-interest to behave morally? Why or why not?

Question 7

The decisions of hypothetical contractors play an important role in contractarianism. Suppose that such contractors failed to agree about some moral question. How serious of a problem would this be for contractarianism? Describe Rawls's idea of the veil of ignorance and explain how it might be able to solve this problem. Do you think it succeeds? Why or why not?

Question 8

According to Hobbes, life in the absence of a government would be

A) wonderful.
B) about the same as it is with government.
C) horrible.
D) more just.

Question 9

According to Hobbes, moral obligations arise from

A) God's commands.
B) sympathy for others.
C) social contracts.
D) social conventions.

Question 10

In Hobbes's example, "the Fool" is someone who

A) believes that it is sometimes rational to behave unjustly.
B) believes that it is always rational to behave morally.
C) acts altruistically and neglects his own self-interest.
D) doesn't believe that anything is just or unjust.

Question 11

According to Hobbes, what is the principal cause of conflict in the state of nature?

A) Competition
B) Diffidence
C) Glory
D) All of the above

Question 12

According to Hobbes, in the state of nature,

A) people act unjustly toward one another.
B) people act justly toward one another.
C) good people act justly while bad people act unjustly.
D) there is no justice or injustice.

Question 13

Why does Hobbes think that we should seek peace?

A) Because it is in our own self-interest
B) Because it is in the interest of others
C) Because God commands it
D) All of the above

Question 14

According to Hobbes, what is needed to ensure that a contract is followed?

A) The contracting parties must act in good faith.
B) The contract must be in each party's best interest.
C) There must be some power to force contracting parties to follow it.
D) The contract must be in writing.

Question 15

What is the "state of nature?"

A) A situation in which there are no laws of government
B) A utopia in which everyone lives in perfect harmony
C) A government that is set up so that everything functions as it ought to
D) A place completely unpopulated by humans

Question 16

What is Hobbes's definition of injustice?

A) Treatment of people as they do not deserve to be treated
B) The performance of an action that does not bring about the best consequences
C) The conviction of an innocent person for a serious crime
D) The breaking of a contract

Question 17

Under what circumstances does Hobbes think that people act for reasons other than self-interest?

A) When interacting with their family
B) When serving their country
C) Both a and b
D) None of the above (People always act out of self-interest.)

Question 18

What did Hobbes mean by the state of nature? What did he imagine life would be like in such a state? How did he suggest that people could get out of such a state? Do you agree with his assessment of the state of nature? Why or why not?

Question 19

Describe Hobbes's character of "the Fool." How does the Fool raise a problem for contractarianism? What is Hobbes's solution to this problem? Do you find it convincing? Defend your answers.

Question 20

According to Hobbes, what is the relationship between self-interest and morality and how does this relationship support contractarianism as a moral theory? Do you agree with him about this relationship? Do you agree that it supports contractarianism? Defend your answers.

Question 21

Case Study
Imagine a small island community thrives for decades as a liberal democracy. Through a collaborative process of open and considerate negotiations about the needs of all its members, the community drafts its own constitution. The constitution honors the rights of individuals to pursue happiness in any way they want that does not harm others. It promises freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly, among other liberties. The constitution also specifies a procedure by which new leaders are chosen and provides them with some authority to make new laws in response to circumstances that were not anticipated in drafting the constitution.
Over time, one of the religious groups in the communities steadily gains members until it becomes the majority religion. The leaders of the group believe the laws of the community should reflect the strict moral code of the religion. Because they form a majority, they are able to elect leaders who advocate for laws that weaken the liberties enshrined in the original constitution. Members of religious minorities are finding it increasingly difficult to gather and practice their faith without violating the new laws imposed by the religious majority.
-Are the members of the religious minority morally required to follow both the old and new laws of the community?

Question 22

Case Study
Imagine a small island community thrives for decades as a liberal democracy. Through a collaborative process of open and considerate negotiations about the needs of all its members, the community drafts its own constitution. The constitution honors the rights of individuals to pursue happiness in any way they want that does not harm others. It promises freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly, among other liberties. The constitution also specifies a procedure by which new leaders are chosen and provides them with some authority to make new laws in response to circumstances that were not anticipated in drafting the constitution.
Over time, one of the religious groups in the communities steadily gains members until it becomes the majority religion. The leaders of the group believe the laws of the community should reflect the strict moral code of the religion. Because they form a majority, they are able to elect leaders who advocate for laws that weaken the liberties enshrined in the original constitution. Members of religious minorities are finding it increasingly difficult to gather and practice their faith without violating the new laws imposed by the religious majority.
-Should the intentions of the original writers of the constitution constrain how new laws are made? Or should the new lawmakers feel free to interpret the document as narrowly or broadly as they see fit?