critical analysis 2

Comparing Rawls and Hobbes Social Contract Theories Names Course Professor College August 2012 Rawls and Hobbes Social Contract Theories Preamble Both Hobbes and Rawls hold social contract theories based on the assumption that people are self-interested, rational and have similar needs, interests and capacities. Rawls theory in many ways contradicts Hobbes theory arguing that it raises “special problems” Hobbe’s ideology is designed in a disorganized social environment where self-preservation was unsteady at best. The foundation of Hobbes theory is based on maxim that there are only two ways for political order in a society, giving reference to his experiences and the society he lived in. the two ways were either there was attainment of absolute power or chaos. Rawl and many other theorists disagreed factually with Hobbe’s dichotomy. There is a notable sharp conflict between Hobbes' theory and Rawls' conception of human rights, the purpose of government, and the nature of the person (Hampton, 2003). A keen review at Hobbe’s establishes him as an ethical foundationalist and his doctrine is termed unacceptable comprehensive canon as far as Rawls' political liberalism is concerned. The Social Contract The social contract theory of state as expounded in the world of Rawl is like an allegory for selected values about humanity, society and the constituent elements of a just society, which exercises rightful political power. The contract proposed by Rawl presumes an ethical context founded on considered judgments, which are utilized to create the original position. Rawl states that the purpose of an original accord proposed to free the corned people to further their own interests accepting initial point of equality as defining the basic terms of their association in the ethics of justice for the basic arrangement of humanity (Rawls, 1971, p.27). In both Hobbes and Rawls theories, there appears to be some form of welfare. However, th...