There is a very delicate balance between the freedoms that
individuals enjoy in society and the authority that governs them.
Benjamin Franklin (1755) addressed this in a now-famous quote: “Those
who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Key ethical theorists Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau considered the relationship between individuals and their
governments and social institutions in terms of social contract theory. This
suggests that a person’s ethical and political responsibilities are
based on understood agreements (with government, with social
institutions, with each other) that shape society. As you prepare for
this assessment, you will consider examples of the balance (and
sometimes tension) between individual freedom and social institutions
and choose one to address in an essay.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course Competency 1: Explain the nature of ethical issues.
Explain the ethical basis for the relation of individuals to their government.
Competency 2: Critically examine the contributions of key thinkers from the history of ethics.
Describe the social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau.
Competency 3: Engage in ethical debate.
Assess the advantages and disadvantages of theories as they relate to a selected issue.
Competency 4: Develop a position on a contemporary ethical issue.
Apply traditional social contract theories to a selected contemporary issue.
Competency 5: Communicate effectively in the context of personal and professional moral discourse.
Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and
consistent with expectations for members of professional communities.
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Reference
Larabee, L. W. (1962). The papers of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. undefined Overview Political philosophy concerns itself with the formation and
maintenance of civil societies. Its central theme is the need to explain
the relationship between individual human beings and their governments.
You have been considering several specific examples of the tension
between individual freedom and social institutions. From among those
examples, you have chosen one as the focus for your own views on freedom
and authority.
Instructions Your assessment is to write an essay assessing the issue you
selected, both in terms of versions of social contract theory proposed
by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau and from your
own view of the proper relation between society and the individual. Address the following concepts in your essay: Explain the ethical basis for the relation of individuals to their government
Describe the theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau about how societies are organized.
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the theories in justifying the imposition of authority over individuals.
Apply these social contract theories to the issue you have selected.
Your instructor may provide video feedback on your work, as well as completing the official scoring guide for the assessment.
Requirements: 2-3 pages
