Social Contract

Social Contract

The theory seeks to explain the formation of societies and governments. Despite the great
variations on some points, the social contract theory mainly focuses on the voluntary consent that
people give to the formation of the government.3 Moreover, the theory denotes an implicit
agreement within a State regarding the rights and responsibilities of the State, i.e. the
government and its citizens.4 It is an explicit or implicit agreement and it emphasizes the rights
of citizens in their relationship to their government. The theory posits that rights of citizens are
prior to and more fundamental than the organization of society under the government.5 The
governed, in essence, should be the governors.