Explain and Illustrate Two Reasons for Thinking That We Have Obligations to a Social Contract Even If We Do Not Expressly Consent [15]

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Explain and illustrate two reasons for thinking that we have obligations to a social contract even if we do not expressly consent (15 marks) One reason for thinking that we have obligations to a social contract even if we don't expressly consent is John Locke's theory of 'tacit' consent: every person is obliged to submit to the rules and laws instigated by society simply by being a part of it- we 'tacitly' consent, even if we are not expressly asked whether we consent or not. The absence of express consent is tacit consent. Locke argues that a person who participates in society in any way- by having 'possessions', or 'enjoyment', or simply by walking down the street, for instance- gives his tacit consent, and so must obey the laws and norms enforced by that society for as long as he participates in it, even though there is no way to 'escape' participating. We can apply this theory to morality by saying that those who avail themselves to the advantages of moral rules can be taken to agree to these rules tacitly. To illustrate: a shopkeeper can only profit if others pay for his stock, and similarly, a conman depends on the honesty and trust of others if he is to succeed. A second reason for thinking that, even if we don't explicitly agree, we have duties to a social contract, is John Rawls' theory of 'hypothetical' consent. Rawls illustrates this with 'Original Position', an imaginary circumstance in which people don't know their gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability (etc.) and are asked what kind of society they'd like to live in. This 'veil of ignorance' means their deliberations are completely impartial, so the fundamental principles established would be what rational, self-interested people would agree to- firstly, we would allow individuals as much freedom as is compatible with equal freedom for all, and secondly, individual wealth would be distributed in a

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