The Social Contract Tradition: The Theory and Its Attractions

Welcome to Our Ethics Meet-Up!
The Social Contract Tradition — Why Morality Needs Agreement

Join us for a thoughtful exploration of Chapter 13: “The Social Contract Tradition: The Theory and Its Attraction” from Russ Shafer-Landau’s “The Fundamentals of Ethics (4th Edition).”

This session invites anyone curious about how morality might arise not from divine command or natural law, but from “mutual agreement among rational agents”.

We’ll discuss how thinkers from “Hobbes to contemporary contractarians” see moral rules as the product of a kind of “social bargain” — a rational solution to the problem of living together without chaos or domination.

What We’ll Explore
The Core Idea: Morality as a system of rules that rational individuals would agree to follow, provided others do the same.

Hobbes’s Starting Point: From the “state of nature” — a condition of fear and insecurity — to a social contract that ensures peace and cooperation.

Rational Self-Interest: Why obey moral rules when it’s inconvenient? We’ll discuss the idea that it’s rational to accept limits on our freedom to gain security and mutual benefit.

The Theory’s Appeal: The social contract grounds moral and political authority in human agreement rather than divine command or moral intuition.

Critiques & Open Questions: What about those left out of the “contract”? How does the theory deal with inequality, future generations, or animals?

Why It’s Worth Your Time
Shafer-Landau’s chapter shows why the social contract tradition continues to fascinate philosophers and political thinkers: it promises to connect **ethics, politics, and rational choice** in a single, elegant framework. Whether you’re new to philosophy or revisiting the classics, this discussion offers a fresh lens on the moral glue that holds societies together.

Your curiosity, and maybe a friend who loves good conversation. We will stay on this chapter for a few sessions. Our motto is "Wash, Rinse & Repeat!"