Social Contracts

The Philosophical Framework of Social Contracts

Thomas Hobbes believed the lives of common people were naturally solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. But they gave up some of their liberties in return for security and protection from the state. This was the social contract. more

Social Contracts in the Digital Age

The digital age manifestation of this tension is apparent very clearly in the medical field involving human subjects. On the one hand there is the ethical and legal obligation to protect the privacy, security and dignity of human subjects. more

The Teeth Behind the Contract

Legal contracts get their teeth from the contract law on which they rest. It is this legal fallback that gives the contract any meaning, for without the law the contract would be toothless. However, involving lawyers and police officials at every interaction would make life really brutish and short. more