Social Contract Research Articles

ROUSSEAU HEIR OF HOBBES? ANALYZING HUMAN NATURE AND POLITICAL ORDER IN THE INTERWOVEN PHILOSOPHIES OF HOBBES AND ROUSSEAU

The article addresses the contributions of Hobbes and Rousseau in the construction of models of human sociability, highlighting how both have marked the history of political philosophy with distinct and, in certain aspects, mutually exclusive visions. Hobbes is recognized for his negative view of man and for introducing the modern concept of the State, while Rousseau criticizes Hobbes's anthropological pessimism, emphasizing passive egoism in the state of nature. Traditional political theories fail to fully understand the relationship between Hobbes and Rousseau, especially concerning their views on human nature and the origin of society. This article seeks to clarify these differences and complementarities. The objective of the article is to examine how the ideas of Hobbes and Rousseau intertwine and contrast, providing a deeper understanding of the formation of modern political thought. The methodology used includes a comparative analysis of the works of Hobbes and Rousseau, focusing on their conceptions of human nature, the state of nature, and the formation of the State and society. It is concluded that although Rousseau criticizes Hobbes for his negative view of the state of nature, he also recognizes the importance of the social contract as a means of establishing political order. Rousseau seeks to overcome the arbitrariness present in Hobbes's theory, proposing active participation of the people in lawmaking, emphasizing popular sovereignty and civil liberty. Thus, the article highlights how both philosophers contributed to constructing a political theory that balances authority and freedom.

AIDS and the End of the Soviet Union

Abstract In the mid-1980s, HIV and AIDS were initially dismissed in the Soviet press as infections that could only be contracted by individuals engaged in ‘deviant’ or ‘promiscuous’ sexual behaviour. However, in late 1988 a different narrative took hold when the mass nosocomial infection of children occurred in hospitals in Elista, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don. These tragedies — and the Soviet government’s lack of action in their aftermath — crystallized the public perception that the spread of HIV and AIDS was primarily due to government negligence and the deficiencies of the Soviet system. In this context, civil society organizations sprang up across the USSR to critique the government’s AIDS response, address the country’s inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and formulate their own solutions. This article explores how this played out in Moscow and Riga in 1989–90, where grassroots AIDS action was inflected by the local political context and indicative of the broader disillusionment with the Soviet government. Because of the specific conditions of Soviet society, AIDS action was more centred on the collapse of the social contract between citizens and the government in a socialist welfare state, and less about the de-stigmatization and liberation of marginalized groups.

Thomas Hobbes and The Social Contract: Promoting Governmental Tyranny.

This paper examines Thomas Hobbes’s social contract theory, arguing for the claim that the English philosopher, in one way or another, promotes a tyrannical form of government. This study has been conducted following a brief examination of similar research studies, notably those that can be viewed as criticism of the Hobbesian social contract. Building on previous literature, and providing arguments that follow through the claim made, has paved the way for some conclusions. Hobbes, according to this study, is guilty of the claim we made against him, especially after careful consideration of the historical context of his writings, and a brief analysis of his idea of absolute authority, as well as his state of nature.

Ethical consumerism, supply chains, and deceptions with RFID-based systems

Ethical consumerism has led manufacturers and retailers to develop new initiatives to align their products and services with related requirements, such as the management of supply chains for ethically produced products. To this end, recent years have witnessed the growing reliance on technological innovations to corroborate claims on ethically produced products. RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)-based systems have found a natural fit for such applications due to their ability to uniquely identify individual items and locally store their characteristics and history. While the benefits of such a setup are clear, there is a paucity of research on associated unethical risks. What is often unclear is the possibility of deception when RFID-generated information is used to certify ethical production. We draw on stockholder theory, stakeholder theory, social contract theory, and Mason’s information ethics theory to study the underlying dynamics. We show that enhancing RFID information accessibility and accuracy in supply chains is key to mitigating the unethical risk of deception and ensuring that RFID-based systems can truly certify ethically produced products. We develop a portfolio of such risks, identify means to mitigate identified risks, and then use a case study to examine the impact of varying degrees of RFID-generated information accessibility and accuracy on the detection and prevention of associated deceptions.

The Crisis and Re-Negotiation of a Bank’s Social Contract

The Crisis and Re-Negotiation of a Bank’s Social Contract

Symposium 1: Relationality, Networked Learning and Árbediehtu- traditional Sámi knowledge

The purpose with this paper is firstly to investigate whether an Indigenous, multidimensional, relationally intertwined onto-epistemology is present in a policy document regarding árbediehtu, traditional Sámi knowledge. The policy identify knowledge claims the Sámi parliament in Sweden wants to pass on to future generations, and is the closest to a Sámi produced curriculum we get in a Swedish context. A four-dimensional relational framework where relationality is unpacked through resonance theory by Hartmut Rosa is utilised as an analytical tool. Secondly, implications for Networked Learning, especially as occurring in remote Sámi language education, are elaborated on. The findings show that the framework can be helpful for understanding and describing a multidimensional relational onto-epistemology as relationships in the policy can be identified on three of the four dimensions in the framework. The last dimension involves the self and is mainly a reflexive tool. However, as the discussion initiated in the concluding section indicates, implications for Networked Learning and remote Sámi language education is not the only take-away. An unpacked understanding of relationality offers a glocalised as-well-as theoretical approach, which is important both locally and globally as issues of sustainability call for the development of a new social contract. According to resonance theory, resonant relationships are transformational, leading to the conclusion that a relational approach can lead to an increased understanding of learning and knowing, and a sense of self-efficacy and a stronger identity, all important aspects in transformational education. Further, the study is an example of how a national graduate school, GRADE, can offer epistemic space when researching digital technologies in education.

The Colonial Contract and the Coloniality Of Gender: Decolonial Feminist Reflections on Charles Mills’s Racia-Sexual Contract

ABSTRACT The social uprisings in the United States during the summer of 2020 renewed public discussion of forms of domination embedded into the social contracts of Western democracies. These discussions echo insights from within political philosophy regarding the domination contract. Despite numerous attempts to shed light on myriad aspects of the domination contract, an analysis of the role of colonialism and coloniality has yet to be sufficiently engaged by political philosophers, particularly within social contract theory. Drawing on the frameworks of intersectionality and decolonial feminism, this article examines the interweavings between two prominent domination contracts, the racia-sexual contract and the colonial contract, to better account for the systematic exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and other women of color (BIWOC) from liberal social contracts that are foundationally predicated on forms of gendered, racialized, colonial domination.

Critical junctures, labour unions, and social dialogue in Tunisia and Lebanon: Implications for the social contract

ABSTRACT This paper examines the evolution of social dialogue institutions in Lebanon and Tunisia between 2010 and 2017. Both countries faced critical junctures, but their institutions pursued divergent courses. The national social dialogue institution was revamped in Tunisia to increase participation in policymaking, whereas it was reinstated in Lebanon without addressing its institutional flaws. By building on these developments, this paper makes two theoretical contributions. First, it argues that the nature of political interference in organized labour prior to the critical juncture influences its subsequent role. Labour neutralization in Lebanon was founded on sectarian politics that co-opted national leadership and bound rank-and-file to sectarian clientelism. Labour pacification in Tunisia harmed executives, whereas local unionists remained independent. After the critical juncture, Tunisian organized labour revitalized itself, aided by rank-and-file autonomy. It then made a strategic choice to reconsolidate the tripartite system with enhanced involvement of the traditional labour and capital organizations in policymaking. Lebanese organized labour was unchallenged by its rank-and-file. It maintained ties with political elites. Second, these paths illustrate the differences between social contracts. Participation in policy elaboration is among the deliverables exchanged between political elites and social actors in Tunisia but not in Lebanon.

José de Nazaré e o currículo evangelizador

The article presents a contextualization of the testimony of Joseph of Nazareth, specifically, of their attitudes and affections in the relationship with Jesus and Mary, in the light of the Theology of education and Josephology studies. It establishes a dialogue between these Josephine educational brands and the evangelizing curriculum, weaving connections with the propositions and commitments of the Global Education Compact and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization report, Reimagining Together our futures: a new social contract for education (Unesco, 2022). Based on these notes, it exemplifies pedagogical-pastoral possibilities that the attitudes and affections of Joseph of Nazareth can support discussions on emerging themes such as the recognition of rights, dignity and equitable inclusion of women, the family’s responsibility for raising children, caring for the common home, welcoming immigrants and refugees and reimagining pedagogical approaches that promote cooperation and solidarity.

Intermediary organizations, international cooperation and the changing social contract: Morocco’s new development model

ABSTRACT In 2021, King Mohammed VI’s appointed commission released a new vision for Moroccan state-society relations: the New Development Model (Nouveau Modèle de Développement, NMD). Presented as a ‘national collective and federative project’, it entailed a social protection system called a ‘social pact’ or ‘social contract’. The King’s vision articulated in the NMD promises changes that many Moroccans have long been calling for. The government has created several intermediary organizations mandated to work on reforms, which reflect citizens’ expectations but keep the pace of change under control. From an international cooperation perspective, these bodies are potential partners for reforms and achieving common development objectives. This article addresses two related questions: what scope of action do Moroccan intermediary organizations have to press for changes to the social contract under the NMD? Do they require international support in fulfilling their roles as change makers? Our analytical framework is based on scholarship exploring political settlements and institutional mandates in neo-patrimonial political systems. We focus on three intermediary organizations relevant to the deliverables of the social contract and discuss the extent to which they push the limits of their mandates to facilitate change. We then turn to the support that international development cooperation could provide.

Moving towards smarter social contracts? Digital transformation as a driver of change in state–society relations in the MENA region

ABSTRACT Digitalization has far-reaching yet under-researched impacts on state–society relations. This article addresses this gap and explores digitalization as a driver of change to social contracts. The conceptual framework explains how it changes (a) the state’s duty to grant protection, provision, and participation in exchange for legitimacy; (b) the modes of state–society interaction; and (c) the contracting parties with respect to their location and their relative power position. Based on a literature review and recent developments in digitalization, the article then discusses how this plays out in the MENA region. It shows that digital surveillance by authoritarian regimes often dominates over the states’ duty to protect their citizens. Spaces for political participation increase through social media and online platforms but often fail to translate into ‘offline’ mobilization. Digitalization can improve public service provision, but only for digitally-connected citizens. Thus, digitalization tends to enhance the relative power positions of MENA states even if states themselves partly depend on external actors for access to and control over digital technologies. Overall, digitalization is an important, structural driver of change to social contracts but pre-existing state–society relations and governance framework conditions lead to either more inclusive or rather more authoritarian social contracts.

Towards an exclusionary social contract: Narratives of a revanchist city in (post)war Syria

ABSTRACT This article asks to what extent national narratives drive changes in social contracts on both national and local level. Societal and especially state actors can use narratives to underline or omit specific rights and duties in social contracts, or to privilege particular contracting parties. In the Syrian case, repression and foreign intervention triggered changes in the national social contract, yet the exclusionary narrative functioned as a catalyst for these changes and entrenched them on both, the national and the city level. We show that housing, land and property (HLP) policies in (post-)war Damascus have an urban scope but a national impact. Not only wartime destruction but also post-war demolition have been particularly high in selected neighbourhoods and (re-)construction favoured upscale urban mega projects. This approach to urban planning reflects an exclusionary national narrative, which stigmatizes parts of the population as ‘terrorists’ and suspects them of stirring up public disorder. In consequence, these groups are marginalized or even ‘evicted’ from the social contract. For those Syrians still covered by the social contract, the narrative seeks to offer a justification for the large-scale exclusion of fellow citizens. Our analysis is based on an extensive review of literature from human geography, with a focus on the physical and social urban fabric, and political science, on intra-societal power relations.

The bidirectional relationship between social contracts and entrepreneurship: Syrian refugee entrepreneurs in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

ABSTRACT This article explores the interaction between Syrian refugees’ entrepreneurship and the social contract of Kurdistan Region of Iraq using qualitative method. The findings confirm that the low level of social contract’s recognition of refugee resources as property rights had a negative effect on their entrepreneurship activities. In contrast, the provisions provided by the government, as part of the social contract helped refugees utilize their resources, which played a positive role in motivating refugee entrepreneurship. Regarding the impact of refugee entrepreneurship on the social contract, there was no top-down change, even with indications of change agency. This can be explained by the low level of participation, in the social contract, and the weakness of entrepreneur associations. For bottom-up change, refugee entrepreneurs tended to challenge the exclusiveness and clientelism in the social contract by increasingly deviating from standard processes, which lead to some de facto change. This research enhances our insights of refugees’ entrepreneurship and integration in the context of the social contract and its change.

Social interactions and contract enforcement in the postcolonial Arab world. Evidence from the industrial elite of Morocco, 1956–1982

ABSTRACT This paper examines the role of social interactions in contract enforcement within the postcolonial Arab world, with a specific focus on Morocco. Through extensive interviews with members of the industrial elite during the import-substituting industrialization (ISI) period, we uncover a significant risk of contractual breaches. Despite this risk, there was a reluctance to use social connections to penalize those who breached contracts. Legal recourse was also rarely pursued. Instead, business leaders leaned on their social networks to assess potential partners and resolve disputes through bilateral channels. This reliance on social ties was facilitated by the close-knit and compact nature of the business community. In the post-ISI era, characterized by a larger and more diverse industrial elite, there was a noticeable increase in contractual disputes, accompanied by a shift towards more aggressive resolution methods. We present a theoretical model that elucidates how these dynamics naturally emerge from an environment where economic and social interactions are intertwined.

Drivers of change in social contracts: Building a conceptual framework

ABSTRACT Social contracts have recently re-emerged as a field of research. They can stabilize the relationship between state and society by establishing some predictability about the mutual deliverables between actors - especially if they are flexible for modifications to take account of changes in the framework conditions, the positions and preferences of their parties, and prevailing norms, values and ideologies. The question is, thus, when, why and how social contracts change. We argue that they change more continuously in countries with institutionalized mechanisms of renegotiation, such as parliamentary debates, open public discourse and interest group lobbying. These are more often democratic countries even if changes in democratic countries can also happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Autocratic countries, though, tend to be more resistant to regular change because they lack the procedures and mechanisms. This includes most countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Here, significant changes usually only take place if something unforeseen happens, such as a price shock, a pandemic, an earthquake or an invasion by a foreign country. At these ‘critical junctures’, at least one key actor in a country – often but not always the government – must react. This actor can, but does not have to, change its previous course.

Philosophical Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to examine philosophical analysis of Sustainable Development Goals. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to philosophical analysis of Sustainable Development Goals. Preliminary empirical review revealed the crucial interplay of ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical considerations in achieving global sustainability. It highlighted the SDGs' foundation on principles of equity, justice, and human rights, emphasizing the need for inclusive and context-sensitive knowledge systems. The analysis also prompted a rethinking of traditional development notions, advocating for a holistic view that includes social and environmental well-being. The conclusion stressed the importance of integrating these philosophical dimensions into policymaking to create effective, inclusive strategies for sustainable global progress. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Utilitarianism, Deontological Ethics and the Social Contract Theory may be used to anchor future studies on the philosophical analysis of SDGs. The study recommended integrating diverse ethical perspectives into development theories, emphasizing inclusive and participatory approaches in practice, and promoting integrated policy frameworks that align with the holistic nature of the SDGs. It highlighted the need for robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, enhanced global cooperation, and the incorporation of sustainability and ethical considerations into educational curricula. These recommendations aimed to ensure that development efforts were economically viable, socially just, and environmentally sustainable, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and effective pursuit of the SDGs.

Operațiile tactice în mediul montan, în contextul cerințelor câmpului de luptă contemporan

Integrarea noilor tehnologii la nivelul operațiilor militare afectează întregul proces al acestora, imprimându-le o serie de particularități, modelând, totodată, caracterul războiului. Precizia și raza lungă de acțiune a noilor sisteme de armament, utilizarea extensivă a senzorilor multispectrali, îmbunătățirea permanentă a relației sensor-to-shooter, dezvoltarea capabilităților fără pilot sunt doar câteva dintre realitățile câmpului de luptă modern. În acest context,marcat de o schimbare de paradigmă în ceea ce privește relația manevră – foc – protecție, se pune întrebarea dacă operațiile militare executate în mediul montan își mai păstrează relevanța în ecuația câmpului de luptă contemporan.De regulă, limitate spațial, acest tip de operații sunt supuse transformării din perspectivă doctrinară și operațională. În acest sens, printr-o explorare longitudinală și interpretativă a operațiilor terestre, dar și printr-o analiză calitativă a cerințelor câmpului de luptă contemporan, am identificat și am descris repere în ceea ce privește adaptarea forțelor de vânători de munte și a operațiilor executate de către acestea.

Out of school children in the context of new policy trajectories and interlocking crises in Zimbabwe: a transformative social policy perspective

In the past two decades, Zimbabwe has been confronted with a concerning increase in the number of out-of-school children and youth (OOSC). Emerging evidence suggests that nearly a million children fall into this category, representing approximately half of the country’s adolescent population. This phenomenon has significantly impacted on Zimbabwe’s educational landscape and socio-economic fabric. Despite its gravity, research on OOSC remains limited. To address this gap, our study triangulates data from various sources to explore OOSC prevalence, examining geographical disparities and underlying causes. In addition, we investigate the nexus between OOSC and the prevailing socio-economic crises in the country. Our analysis reveals that, despite Zimbabwe’s robust education policies and legislative framework, OOSC prevalence rates remain high. Implementation gaps persist, hindering effective solutions. The challenge of OOSC is seen being intertwined with the multifaceted crises and socio-economic dynamics affecting the nation. Geographical, wealth-based, social, religious, cultural, and economic disparities all contribute to the persistence of OOSC. To combat this challenge, we propose several recommendations rooted in the political economy-oriented concept of transformative social policy. These are crystallised around the need to develop a social contract prioritising the fulfilment of rights, social justice, human capacity, and agency. Emphasis is on the importance of a holistic approach, aligning economic policies with social goals to foster an environment conducive to education. By transforming social institutions and structures, we argue that the scourge of OOSC can be addressed and pave way for a more equitable and inclusive education system.

Šventojo Sosto pasaulinės teisinės politinės tvarkos vizija ir jos kritinė analizė

As the influence of the Holy See in the international arena increases due to the ongoing transformation of international society, resulting from the increasing influence of nongovernmental organizations and other non-state actors, it becomes important to know what legal and political mechanisms operating on a global scale, the Holy See proposes to solve the most pressing problems of humanity. It was found that between 1939 and 1956 the Holy See proposed the idea of an international legal peace institution and publicly supported the idea of a world government or world federation promoted by the World Federalist Movement. Both must ensure global security and peace. Since 1963 until 2015 the Holy See promoted the idea of a world political authority with the power, institution and means to effectively solve global problems. The research shows that these projects contain features of social contract theory. The reform of the United Nations organization, giving it more powers, is considered the first step towards the emergence of a global public authority.

The genesis of the development of the category of trust and mistrust in science

The Relevance. The initial manifestations of trust were recorded in the political philosophy of Ancient Greece and Ancient China, on the basis of which thinkers determined the interconnection and interdependence of relations between government and society. Further developing in line with political sociology, trust as the principle of “fides” (“faith”) from the Roman law was conceptualized by M. Weber as an “emotional product” of a social contract, violation of the terms of which does not carry sanctions, with the exception of the loss of business reputation. The category of trust was significantly enriched during the development of sociology of the 20th – early 21st centuries, and thanks to the works of P. Sztompka and F. Fukuyama, it gained understanding of the conditions for sustainable development of society in conditions of uncertainty, in which the individual proceeds from the “credit” of confidence in the respectable behavior of another and absolute confidence in one's own actions. In recent years, a “crisis of confidence” in science as a social institution in modern society has been recorded.The problem of the research is to identify the peculiarities of understanding the category of “trust” by the classics of sociological science and their applicability in modern science.The goal of the research is to study the relationship between the dynamics of trust in Sociology in the scientific community and in science as a social institution as a whole.The methodological basis of the reseearch is a systematic approach and general methods of scientific knowledge, such as analysis, synthesis, generalization.The Research results. The classics of sociological science have enriched the motivational, value and political meanings of the concept of «trust» in modern science.