Social Contract of the New World

The writings of Locke were highly influential in the creation of the current government that exists in the United States today. The social contract is a concept that had been breached by degrees in the past, however, it was usually only under extreme pressure that power or liberty is ceded to another.

One of the earliest examples that I find is the Magna Carta. in 1215 King John was forced to sign a document giving certain rights to some of his rebellious nobles. In the past, kings were all-powerful within their realm. Because of abuses, the rich barons rose up and overpowered the king, forcing him to sign over certain rights to religion, freedom, and power that had not existed in the past.

A more modern example is the social contract that exists within most governments today. The declaration of Independence used by the United States to formally secede from the British Commonwealth was written by Thomas Jefferson. This document was strongly influenced by writers such as John Locke.

At the time the Declaration was written, the "United Colonies" were in no position to bargain with the British. However, the Declaration and later the Constitution combined would eventually make up a document that is not too different in content from the Magna Carta. It would define specific liberties that the government or "king" could never take away. In exchange for these rights, the common people promise to follow the law, pay taxes, etc. otherwise these liberties would be revoked. This was the contract between the government and the governed that would directly affect how we interact with governmental institutions today.

Image credit: by WikiImages: Declaration of Independence, Pixaby licensed under CC by 2.0