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  #11  
Old 07-23-2011, 08:43 PM
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JCricket JCricket is offline
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Originally Posted by BlueStreak View Post
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
Excellent point. Take this to the extreme, where we have no "social contact".

Everyman for himself. The ultimate winner has everything, and no one else even exhists. What is the point to being super wealthy or well tto do if there are no other humans to (pick your thoughts - rule over, share with, make jealous, take more from, give to, etc).

Monopoly is a fun game, but in real life it would suck. I win and have everything - no one else has anything.

So being human means being social. Without a person might as well crawl under a rock and live entirely uninterruped for the remainder of their life.

BTW - excellent link and great thread too.
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  #12  
Old 07-24-2011, 04:49 AM
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Brother_Karl Brother_Karl is offline
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Originally Posted by BlueStreak View Post
So, society is not to move forward unless each and every individual gives his or her full consent? How is that even possible? I hear it all of the time, Karl. "Why should I have to comply with that regulation or pay that tax, I never consented to it."

The answer is simple; You will never achieve anything if you have to wait on a unanimous decision from the masses. Heck, half the time it's nearly impossible to do so with a simple majority.

Some just have to deal with it, when they don't get their way. We all face that from time to time. That's just how it is.

Dave
Dont make the mistake of thinking that, when I am against something, I am for everything else within this system.
It is not my fault that the system that we live in is created in such a way which makes it essential that everyone is coerced.

But lets get past that and get to the fact that this 'social contract' extends far further than it actually needs to. Why should people in Washington or people in London get to tell me how to live my life? If I want to have sex with my brother, for example, I should be able to but instead I have to abide by something written down by people who I do not know and do not care about.

Furthermore, lets not call it by its official name. 'Social contract' is an insult to language and its definition is an insult to reality. Lets not pretend that this is anything more than the states ownership of human beings such as me and you. Lets discuss things frankly and lets use words that suit reality rather than fantasy.
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Last edited by Brother_Karl; 07-24-2011 at 05:54 AM.
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  #13  
Old 07-24-2011, 05:49 AM
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bhunter bhunter is offline
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Originally Posted by BlueStreak View Post
Some question was raised concerning the "Social Contract" that d-ray often refers to. I thought I would post this link to further clarify the meaning of "social contract". I decided to put it in this forum since it seems to encompass all aspects of human social interaction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract

Thoughts, opinions?

Dave
Here is another more comprehensive link to social contract theory:

http://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/

If you like original source material:

Hobbes, Locke, More, and Rousseau are all good entry points; however, to get into the real intricacies Kant and Hume must be read. David Hume is quite accessible, but one often quoted statement regarding Kant is "He speaks through clouds without the benefit of the lightening flash for illumination." If you look at the above link you'll find that feminists and those seeking racial equality have traditionally been in opposition to social contract theory. Rawls' Theory of Justice is also worth reading if you're interested in social contract theory and the accompanying social justice assertions.
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Last edited by bhunter; 07-24-2011 at 11:20 AM.
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  #14  
Old 07-24-2011, 06:57 AM
Charles Charles is offline
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Don't need a contract when everybody's getting along, it's when everybody QUITS getting along that you need a contract.

Perhaps the reason why everybody AIN'T getting along so good is that our current social contract is leaving a lot of people holding the shitty end of the stick.

And unlike Socrates, if I sense that the powers that be are using "OUR" social contract to run smooth over my ass, then I consider the contract null and void.

BTW, I've always thought that Geronimo was the greatest American who ever lived. Don't guess he went to school proper, but he had the initiate ability to tell when his social contract was flawed, and he had the courage to do something about it.

Chas
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  #15  
Old 07-24-2011, 07:02 AM
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merrylander merrylander is offline
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Good, so does that mean that we will not see any more of your inane babbling in this thread.
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  #16  
Old 07-24-2011, 07:16 AM
Charles Charles is offline
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Good, so does that mean that we will not see any more of your inane babbling in this thread.
Rob, you need to be more specific whenever addressing the inane babblers in this thread.

Now if you're referring to me the answer is no.

I'm gonna go on the warpath instead. Just like my hero.

Chas
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  #17  
Old 07-24-2011, 07:28 AM
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merrylander merrylander is offline
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Rob, you need to be more specific whenever addressing the inane babblers in this thread.

Now if you're referring to me the answer is no.

I'm gonna go on the warpath instead. Just like my hero.

Chas
Sorry Chas, a bunch of folks hit the send button whil I was typing, my post was aimed at dj.
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  #18  
Old 07-24-2011, 07:34 AM
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Originally Posted by merrylander View Post
Sorry Chas, a bunch of folks hit the send button whil I was typing, my post was aimed at dj.
I figured as much, but I couldn't resist the jab!!!

Well, since my suspicions have been confirmed I'll just skip the warpath and go to work instead.

I need to fulfill my end of the social contract.

Take care,

Chas
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  #19  
Old 07-24-2011, 07:37 AM
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All this talk of coercion puzzles me, I do not feel compelled to drive on one side of the road, rather than down the middle, common sense tells me the latter is suicidal. I do not feel the long arm of goverment in my bedroom, it would get cut off if it tried. The basic rules of society are by and large eminently sensible and where they are not they tend to be ignored. I don't find taxes onerous considering what they provide. I do not feel any need to rant and rave against the government beyond what my vote does. If the majority disagrees with me so be it, one day they will come to their senses.
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  #20  
Old 07-24-2011, 08:23 AM
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BlueStreak BlueStreak is offline
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Originally Posted by Brother_Karl View Post
But lets get past that and get to the fact that this 'social contract' extends far further than it actually needs to. Why should people in Washington or people in London get to tell me how to live my life? If I want to have sex with my brother, for example, I should be able to but instead I have to abide by something written down by people who I do not know and do not care about.
Dude...Your own brother? Seriously, WTF?

Dave
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