The concept of a social contract has been central to political thought since the seventeenth century. Contract theory has been used to justify political authority, to account for the origin of the state and to provide foundations for moral values and a just society.
In The Social Contract from Hobbes to Rawls , leading scholars from Britain and America survey the history of contractarian thought and the major debates in political theory which surround the notion of social contract. The book examines the critical reception to the ideas of thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel and Marx, and includes the more contemporary ideas of Rawls and Gauthier.
It also incorporates discussions of international relations theory and feminist responses to contractarianism. Challenging the notion that there is a single tradition that can be traced back beyond Hobbes to classical Greece, three distinct traditions are identified, alongside a series of anti-contractarian arguments which have played a role
in shaping the debate to the present day. Together, the essays provide a comprehensive introduction to theories and critiques of the soical contract, within a broad political theoretical framework.
By:
David Boucher, Paul Kelly Imprint: Routledge Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 530g ISBN:9780415108461 ISBN 10: 0415108462 Pages: 288 Publication Date:20 October 1994 Audience:
College/higher education
,
General/trade
,
Primary
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
David Boucher (University of Wales, Swansea), Paul Kelly (London School of Economics)
