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  1. Social contract - Wikipedia

    In moral and political philosophy, the social contract is an idea, theory, or model that usually, although not always, concerns the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual. [1] .

  2. Social contract | Definition, Examples, Hobbes, Locke, & Rousseau ...

    Dec 29, 2025 · Social contract, in political philosophy, an actual or hypothetical compact, or agreement, between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each.

  3. Social Contract Theory - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

    Social contract theory, nearly as old as philosophy itself, is the view that persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which …

  4. Social Contract Theory: Definition and Critique (2026)

    Aug 27, 2023 · A social contract is an agreement among individuals within a social group to abide by certain rules and laws for mutual safety and defence. In its modern form, the idea was reintroduced …

  5. SOCIAL CONTRACT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

    the voluntary agreement among individuals by which, according to any of various theories, as of Hobbes, Locke, or Rousseau, organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to …

  6. Social Contract Definition - AP World History: Modern Key Term

    The Social Contract is a philosophical concept that suggests individuals consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of a governing body in …

  7. SOCIAL CONTRACT definition | Cambridge English Dictionary

    SOCIAL CONTRACT meaning: 1. an agreement among the members of a society or between a society and its rulers about the rights…. Learn more.

  8. What Is the Social Contract? - Easy Sociology

    Feb 11, 2025 · The social contract is a foundational concept in both political philosophy and sociology, rooted in the idea that individuals collectively agree to form a society and abide by its rules for mutual …

  9. Social Contract - World History Encyclopedia

    Feb 2, 2024 · The social contract is an idea in philosophy that at some real or hypothetical point in the past, humans left the state of nature to join together and form societies by mutually agreeing which …

  10. Explainer: Social Contracts | International IDEA

    Nov 23, 2022 · What is a social contract? A social contract is an implicit agreement between the people and their government about what each side provides to the other. The terms of the agreement can …