Legal Definitions - social contract

The social contract is an agreement between citizens and their government. This agreement can be either expressed or implied. In this agreement, individuals agree to give up certain freedoms in exchange for mutual protection. It forms the foundation of a political society.

Political philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau are primarily associated with the term. However, it can be traced back to the Greek Sophists.

• When citizens pay taxes, they are fulfilling their end of the social contract. They give up some of their money in exchange for the government's protection and services.
• By obeying laws, citizens are also fulfilling their end of the social contract. They give up some of their freedom to act as they please in exchange for the government's protection and the maintenance of order.

These examples illustrate how citizens give up certain freedoms in exchange for the government's protection and services. This agreement is the social contract, and it forms the foundation of a political society.