The "Social Contract".

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by finnbow

The criticism I hear from Whell or read in this link has to do with the semantic use of the word "contract." Somehow, the criticism seems to use the legal meaning of "contract" as a trump card to invalidate the notion of a "social contract."

Isn't that kinda like saying that you need to give a rabies shot to a hot dog?

As a German speaker, I'm quite familiar with compound words and am able to recognize that "social contract" is a compound word used to explain a concept that differs materially from "contract" used in a purely legal context.

It's because "Social Contract" sounds and is, in some measure, collectivist. It rubs their "every man for himself" mentality the wrong way. The "Law of the Jungle" appeals to their base primal instincts and is therefore more compatible with the modern conservative mentality. Baboons don't pool their resources to care for other Baboons that can't keep up with the troupe, they bite and stomp them to death to prevent them from holding the others back. See what I'm sayin'?

Dave