Social Contract Theory Research Articles

Legal and Policy Implications in the Age of Social Media in South Africa

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the legal and policy implications in the age of social media in South Africa Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that privacy concerns, copyright infringement, cyberbullying, data protection regulations, content moderation, online political advertising, employer surveillance, and emerging technologies like deepfake, researchers have shed light on the evolving legal frameworks governing social media platforms. The study emphasized the critical need for enhanced privacy protection measures, transparent content moderation policies, comprehensive cyberbullying laws, and stricter regulation of online activities to safeguard users' rights and mitigate potential harms. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social Contract Theory, Diffusion of Innovations Theory & Network Society Theory may be used to anchor future studies on legal and policy implications in the age of social media in South Africa. Formulate policies that strike a balance between freedom of expression and the need to curb harmful content such as hate speech, misinformation, and online harassment. Legal frameworks should provide guidance on content moderation practices while safeguarding fundamental rights. Encourage social media companies to adopt ethical principles and practices that prioritize user well-being and societal good over profit maximization. This includes measures to combat online addiction, promote digital well-being, and mitigate the negative impacts of their platforms on mental health and democracy. This contributes to both legal theory and practice by emphasizing the role of corporations in upholding broader societal values.

The dynamics embedded in COVID-19 pandemic responses in South Africa: Implications for public healthcare delivery

South Africa recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa despite having what seemed to be one of the best government response mechanisms on the continent. This paper explores the responses of both the government and the citizens of South Africa to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a literature review, the study established that the government's response to the pandemic was influenced by various factors, including the responsibility to protect citizens' lives, the need to defend the state's sovereignty, and compliance with global health imperatives. This was achieved through strict and coercive government measures, which left little room for public participation in decision-making. The findings also indicate public dissent towards government directives, which may be attributed to a lack of public awareness and preparedness in public health emergencies. The social contract theory provides a useful framework for analysing and understanding the actions of the government and citizens in response to COVID-19 in South Africa. Understanding these aspects is crucial for drawing informative lessons for effective public health and socio-economic interventions in future pandemics and health-related emergencies.

Police compliance with the social contract as an antecedent of police legitimacy, of satisfaction with the police, and of willingness to obey: findings from a two-stage vignette experiment

Abstract Objectives Test the effects of police compliance with the restrictions on their authority embedded in Social Contract Theory (SCT) on police legitimacy, satisfaction with the police, and willingness to obey police officers. Methods A two-stage vignette experiment. In the first, 1356 participants were randomly assigned to one of four study conditions: control, procedural justice (PJ), police performance (PP), and compliance with the social contract (SC). In the follow-up stage, 660 participants were randomly assigned to either a control or proportionality/least restrictive alternative (PL) condition. Results Compared to the control condition, the SC manipulation improved evaluations of all three dependent variables. For legitimacy, its effect was no different than that of PJ and PP. For satisfaction, it was similar to that of PP and stronger than the effect of PJ. For willingness to obey, it was no different than the effect of PJ, but stronger than that of PP. The second stage of the experiment revealed that compared to the control condition, the two unique components of the SC model (PL) significantly improved the scores of all three DVs. Conclusions Police adherence to the SC, and particularly to its two unique components, is an important determinant of police legitimacy and other outcomes, and should thus be acknowledged by researchers and practitioners. Future research is encouraged to disentangle the relative effects of the “building blocks” making up PJ, PP, and compliance with the SC.

Rationality and Justice: Textual investigation based on A Theory of Justice

Rawls put forward the concepts of "the original state" and "the Veil of ignorance" in his book A Theory of Justice, which made an outstanding contribution to the reconstruction of the social contract theory. On this basis, he demonstrated the combination of the two principles of justice, namely the principle of equal liberty, the principle of equal opportunity and difference principle, which had a strong impact on the long-term mainstream utilitarian view of justice. Based on the textual investigation of A Theory of Justice, this paper starts from the reason basis shared by the two, takes the relationship between reason and justice as a clue, analyzes the differences between Rawls and utilitarianism in moral philosophy and methodology, and explains the connotation of Rawls's two principles of justice in detail. On the other hand, Rawls' systematic recognition and adoption of utilitarianism, as well as the utilitarian characteristics presented in the principle of difference, make the relationship between the two show a complex state of opposition and interwoven. In this paper, Rawls's theory of justice will be deeply explored, and the internal logic of Rawls's thought of justice will be analyzed, so as to further clarify the relationship between reason and justice.

Educational Applications of ChatGPT: Ethical Challenges and Countermeasures

To mitigate the ethical risks of ChatGPT in educational applications and fully leverage the advantages of AI-enabled education, this study draws on the principles of fairness and justice theory, ethics of care theory, social contract theory, consequentialism, and virtue ethics in ethics to explore the ethical challenges of ChatGPT’s educational applications and propose corresponding strategies. The research reveals that the ethical issues in the educational use of ChatGPT include algorithmic bias and unfairness in the domain of techno-ethics, lack of algorithmic transparency and interpretability, and issues of technical reliability and misleading information. In the context of academic ethics, concerns arise regarding the legitimacy of ChatGPT’s participation as an academic researcher, the potential for academic plagiarism and misconduct resulting from ChatGPT-generated content, and the limited value of the generated content itself. In terms of educational ethics, challenges encompass issues of educational fairness and equal opportunities, the potential alienation of teacher-student relationships, and the need to strike a balance between educational goals and personalized instruction. Therefore, addressing these ethical challenges and ensuring the fulfillment of its true purpose require approaches that encompass legal regulations and moral constraints, fostering awareness among individuals involved, and defending the essence of education while fostering innovation.

Kedaulatan Negara Indonesia Ditinjau dari Sisi Politik Hukum Pertahanan Negara

National defense is a crucial aspect in maintaining the sovereignty, integrity and security of a country. This discussion reviews various aspects related to national defense, from concept to implementation in law and policy in Indonesia. The research method used is normative analysis of various legal documents and expert views related to national defense. The results of the discussion highlight the importance of integrating military and non-military defense in facing various developing threats. Inter-agency coordination, including through the National Defense Council, is considered crucial in formulating effective defense policies and strategies. In a political context, national defense is seen as the result of the political process and public policy. However, there is also the concept of legal politics which is the basis for determining the laws that apply in a country. In conclusion, national defense requires clear and structured regulations and the involvement of all elements of society to maintain stability and sustainability of defense. Continuous evaluation of the country's defense system is necessary to face the dynamics of ever-growing threats. National defense is an implementation of social contract theory which involves an agreement between citizens in society to protect their rights and obligations and ensure the harmony of interests. Every citizen has the right and obligation to participate in efforts to defend the country, both physically and non-physically, in accordance with the provisions of applicable law. Awareness of the importance of national defense, especially among the younger generation, needs to be increased to ensure their role in advancing the nation is optimal

Asteroid mining vs the carbon bubble: ethical considerations for space resource extraction

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the ethical and environmental implications of allowing space resource extraction to disrupt existing fuel economies, including how companies can be held accountable for ensuring the responsible use of their space assets. It will also briefly consider how such assets should be taxed, and the cost/benefit analyses required to justify the considerable expense of supporting this emerging space industry.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts theoretical bioethics methodologies to explore issues of normative ethics and the formulation of moral rules to govern individual, collective and institutional behaviour. Specifically, it considers social justice and social contract theory, consequentialist and deontological accounts of ethical evaluation. It also draws on sociological and organisational literature to discuss Dowling and Pfeffer’s (1975) and Suchman’s (1995) theories of pragmatic, cognitive and moral legitimacy as they may be applied to off-world mining regulations and the handling of space assets.FindingsThe findings of this conceptual paper indicate there is both a growing appetite for tighter resource extraction regulations to address climate change and wealth concentration globally, and an opportunity to establish and legitimise new ethical norms for commercial activity in space that can avoid some of the challenges currently facing fossil fuel divestment movements on Earth.Originality/valueBy adopting methodologies from theoretical bioethics, sociology and business studies, including applying a legitimacy lens to the issue of off-world mining, this paper synthesises existing knowledges from these fields and brings them to the new context of the future space resource economy.

Extending Social Contract Theory to Corporate Entities: Exploring Applicability and Implications

Amidst the accelerating pace of economic globalization, many corporations increasingly grapple with the challenge of effectively balancing economic gains against their broader social and ethical responsibilities. This research paper delves deep into the applicability of social contract theory within the corporate sphere, analyzing its foundational principles in conjunction with Plato's Theory of Ideal Forms. The comprehensive study posits that modern corporations can be integral and proactive actors within the broader social contract, bearing significant societal responsibilities and moral obligations. It thoroughly explores the theoretical grounding for corporate adherence to social ethics and proposes practical and actionable implementations of social contract theory in corporate management. Emphasis is strongly placed on the moral role and the weighty societal responsibilities of corporations in today's ever-changing world. The compelling findings indicate that social contract theory offers a robust theoretical basis for corporations to adhere to social ethics voluntarily. Additionally, it assists corporate managers in developing decision-making models that align closely with these ethics. This alignment helps harmonize the pursuit of economic objectives with broader societal responsibilities.

Social Reasons

ABSTRACTThe goal of this article is to motivate the idea of a social reason and demonstrate its usefulness in social theorizing. For example, in a society that values getting married young, the fact that one is young is a reason to get married. In racist and sexist societies, we have social reasons to be racist and sexist. Social reasons give rise to social requirements and obligations, where these requirements often conflict with prudential and moral requirements. My application of reasons to social philosophy parallels Charles Mills' and Carole Pateman's applications of social contract theory to political philosophy. While they use social contract theory to make sense of patriarchy and white supremacy, I use the theory of normative reasons to make sense of social injustice. The theory of normative reasons meets non‐ideal theory.

Examining the Role of HRM Practices in Fostering Employee Engagement Towards CSR Initiative.

This paper investigates the pivotal role of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in fostering employee engagement towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives within organizations. CSR has become a cornerstone of modern business strategy, acknowledging its significance in promoting sustainable practices and societal well-being. Employee engagement serves as a crucial link between CSR initiatives and organizational success, influencing attitudes, behaviors, and commitment levels among employees. Drawing upon existing literature and empirical evidence, this research provides insights into how HRM practices can effectively nurture and sustain employee engagement towards CSR, thereby contributing to enhanced organizational performance and social impact. [1] Theoretical frameworks such as Social Exchange Theory and Psychological Contract Theory are utilized to understand the mechanisms through which HRM practices shape employee attitudes and behaviors towards CSR. Social Exchange Theory elucidates how HRM practices serve as indicators of organizational support and commitment, fostering reciprocity and engagement among employees towards CSR goals. Psychological Contract Theory highlights the role of HRM practices in shaping the implicit expectations and obligations between employees and organizations, influencing perceptions of trust, fairness, and mutual respect, which in turn drive engagement towards CSR. [2] The paper explores key HRM practices that play a vital role in fostering employee engagement towards CSR initiatives, including recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, and rewards and incentives. It discusses how organizations can integrate CSR considerations into these practices to create an enabling environment that motivates and empowers employees to actively participate in CSR efforts. Furthermore, implications for HRM practice are outlined, emphasizing the need for strategic alignment between HRM and CSR objectives, leveraging technology and communication channels to enhance employee engagement, and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/tjjpt.v45.i02.6106

A Re-assessment of Thomas Hobbes Social Contract Theory and His Concept of Motion

Hobbes held the belief that his political philosophy would resolve political disagreements, rather his work has aroused series of criticisms and oppositions, and has given rise to unending controversies. Thus, this paper is a re-examination of Thomas Hobbes social contract theory and an analysis of his concept of motion. The driving philosophy behind every civil government is the concept of the social contract that spells out the responsibilities of government and duties of the governed. Hobbes was the first who wrote on the social contract where he clearly spelt out how man in the state of nature were life is short, nasty and brutish with no scientific development. Through the dictates of reason man in such a chaotic society was able to form a civil government relinquishing all his rights to this said man or assembly of men in place for law, order and protection. This study employed historic-analytical method. The historical dimension is to provide the knowledge of the political circumstances that prevailed during the time of Hobbes and the analytic aspect is to examine critically the concept of motion in relation to understanding the nature of man. The work concludes that, Hobbes understanding of human nature from the point of view of mechanical and mathematical precision without understanding man from the social human actions and as a conscious being is a major factor that has given rise to series of controversies surrounding his political philosophy. Keywords: Motion, Social Contract, Natural Right, Natural Law and Authority.

‶Don’t Say Neigh, Say Yay”

‶Don’t Say Neigh, Say Yay”

The Influences of Utilitarianism on Rawls Theory of Justice

Concerning political philosophy during the second half of the 20th century, Rawls theory of justice stands out, particularly in its critique of utilitarianism. The currency of utilitarianism deeply influences the emergence of Rawls veil of ignorance and two principles of justice. Classical utilitarianism provides Rawls with a theoretical framework, informing him with the importance of predominant criteria to govern a society. While the fact remains that the impairment of individual rights, which is inherited in classical utilitarianism for maximizing the collective welfare, has long been denounced by liberals. To address this, Rawls introduces the social contract theory, arguing for the priority of the right over the good. Whereas the prevalent of average utilitarianism brought Rawls to notice with shortcomings among the traditional version of social contract. By applying the veil of ignorance as an approach of justification, Rawls refutes two premises of average utilitarianism, which are the law of insufficient reason and the analogous preferences of social members. This lays a foundation for his two principles of justice, the greatest equal liberty principle and the difference principle. Justice as fairness incorporates the merits of utilitarianism, providing liberalism with a constructive force, concurrently elucidating the defects of utilitarianism. Accordingly, Rawls argument effectively challenges utilitarianism, coupled with failings of utilitarians to deal persuasive counterattacks, as a consequence, bringing a shift of the dominant in political philosophy from utilitarianism towards liberalism.

Beyond control over data: Conceptualizing data sovereignty from a social contract perspective

In the data economy, data sovereignty is often conceptualized as data providers’ ability to control their shared data. While control is essential, the current literature overlooks how this facet interrelates with other sovereignty facets and contextual conditions. Drawing from social contract theory and insights from 31 expert interviews, we propose a data sovereignty conceptual framework encompassing protection, participation, and provision facets. The protection facets establish data sharing foundations by emphasizing baseline rights, such as data ownership. Building on this foundation, the participation facet, through responsibility divisions, steers the provision facets. Provision comprises facets such as control, security, and compliance mechanisms, thus ensuring that foundational rights are preserved during and after data sharing. Contextual conditions (data type, organizational size, and business data sharing setting) determine the level of difficulty in realizing sovereignty facets. For instance, if personal data is shared, privacy becomes a relevant protection facet, leading to challenges of ownership between data providers and data subjects, compliance demands, and control enforcement. Our novel conceptualization paves the way for coherent and comprehensive theory development concerning data sovereignty as a complex, multi-faceted construct.

Ratio Legis Investigation by the Prosecutor: A Review of Distribution of Power in Investigation of Corruption Crime

AbstractThis study discusses the distribution of investigative powers in the context of law enforcement on corruption crime. The urgency in this research that is to be achieved is to know the concept of distribution of investigative power in the field of corruption crime and to know the law with a closer distance to the ratio legis. The Prosecutor is given the authority to investigate corruption crimes. The preparation of this research uses legal research by analyzing legislation as well as treatises on discussing the draft act which arrange institutions are authorized to investigate corruption crime. The results of this study indicate that in a lex specialis manner, those authorized to investigate corruption crime are investigators at the Prosecutor and the Corruption Crime Eradication Commission, in addition to investigators at the Police institution who are also authorized to investigate corruption crime in a lex generalis manner. The three institutions are equally authorized to investigate corruption crime based on the concept of cooperating with each other. The ratio legis forming the act when discussing the draft act number 16 of 2004 concerning the Prosecutor’s Office gives the Prosecutor authority to investigate corruption crime, namely that people have high hopes for the prosecutor’s office as one of the important pillars in upholding the supremacy of law and being pro-actively involved in eradicating rampant corruption crime in all areas of life, bearing in mind that corruptors in Indonesia at that time were experts in breaking into banks, taking state money abroad for the sole reason of seeking treatment abroad, destroying evidence, manipulating data, and being able to trick prosecutors into going abroad freely. The people’s high hopes for the Prosecutor are based on Rousseau’s social contract theory in the making of the act.Keywords: Distribution of Power; Investigation; Corruption Crime.

Accounting in the shadows of tradition: the role of national culture

PurposeCurrent research aims to investigate the relationships between Chinese national cultural values (uncertainty avoidance (UA), power distance, masculinity (MAS), individualism (IDV) and Confucian dynamism) and accounting practices (professionalism, uniformity, conservatism and secrecy).Design/methodology/approachA sample of 842 users/preparers of financial statements participated in this cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey from China. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) was used to test the proposed relationship.FindingsResults show that cultural values strongly impact financial reporting practices in China. Chinese society is characterized by low UA, high power distance, collectivism, future orientation (Confucianism) and masculine traits. These values show an overall preference for uniformity, conservatism and secrecy in financial reporting with weak professionalism. The findings show that Chinese society emphasizes law abidance, strict codes of conduct, written rules and regulations and respect for consistent orthodox measures.Practical implicationsThis study provides valuable input for policymakers in developing regulations and accounting standards in the Chinese market. Understanding the relationship between cultural dimensions and accounting values helps to address societal challenges and align policies with cultural values to acquire desired financial reporting values. Global firm managers must consider cultural dimensions in accounting when entering Chinese markets or negotiating with partners from different cultures. Findings also suggest local managers gain self-awareness of their cultural biases and accounting values, enabling them to navigate businesses and society's financial reporting needs.Originality/valueThis study enriches the existing literature on cultural and accounting practice studies by validating the role of stakeholder and social contract theories in Gray–Hofstede’s framework and highlighting the influence of dominant cultural values on accounting values. The study provides a unique empirical analysis of the Chinese market by using a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling (SEM). Further, it also opens avenues for future research on the relationship between cultural dimensions, accounting practices and their global impact. These findings emphasize the importance of cultural sensitivity and adaptability, especially in multicultural environments.

Ethical Implications of Advanced Surveillance Technologies on Law Enforcement: A Case Study of National Police Service in County of Nairobi, Kenya

The study's research objectives included examining the effects of advanced surveillance technologies on law enforcement by NPS in Nairobi County and evaluating the ethical implications of using these technologies by the NPS. The social contract theory was used to understand the ethical implications of using advanced surveillance technologies in law enforcement. The research population includes the 4.7 residents of Nairobi County affected by the implementation of advanced surveillance technologies both overtly and covertly. The data was collected from a sample of 50 randomly sampled participants. The respondents were engaged using a qualitative questionnaire. Therefore, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the study. The study was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and the thematic analysis method. The study concluded that the use of advanced surveillance technologies such as CCTV systems, facial recognition, license plate recognition, drones, forensic tools, and biometric systems in law enforcement and public safety are widely acknowledged. The ethical considerations regarding these technologies include data security, privacy, freedom of expression, transparency, and accountability. These, however, do not negate the fact that the technologies are necessary for enhancing public safety and emergency response. It is, therefore, imperative to establish clear guidelines and regulations for using advanced surveillance technologies in law enforcement

Revisiting Rousseau's social contract theory through the lens of politico-moral philosophy

Revisiting Rousseau's social contract theory through the lens of politico-moral philosophy

The Constructive Aspect of Locke's Social Contract Theory

The Constructive Aspect of Locke's Social Contract Theory

An Analysis of Social Contract Theory: Based on a Comparative Analysis of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau

An Analysis of Social Contract Theory: Based on a Comparative Analysis of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau