Authority In Liberty

Contract Theory is an ancient and important tradition of the Western political thought. In the17th and18th centuries, it became the mainstream of Western political thought; it had an important impact on the development of Western political thought, and the conformation of the European modern state. Modern social contract theory, as a theoretical starting point for analysis of general human nature and trying to construct an ideal country for this purpose, is a revolutionary and constructive political theory.In the Western political tradition, there are basically three types of the origin of political authority:the natural on political authority from the Ancient Greece; the political authority of the system of Christian theology theodicy in the Middle Ages, and the Social Contract political authority in modern times. Unlike natural theory or theodicy of the political authority, the basis of the Social Contract political authority is the individual liberty, and therefore the relationship between individual liberty and political authority constitutes the core proposition of the modern social contract theory;"Why the individual liberty to obey political authority?" The social contract theory seeks to answer the proposition, and they looked the political authority, one of the general characteristics of the modern social contract theory, as a product of social contract.Although the social contract theory has almost become the new thinkers in modern thinking about the political issues of the unified paradigm, Social Contract itself is not a standard answer, different thinkers use very different solutions on Social Contract. The three political theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau are the most representatives, that authoritarian mode of Hobbes, the liberal mode of Locke and Rousseau’s republicanism mode. Around the core issues of personal freedom and political authority, three thinkers constructed their theories from the necessity of political authority, the basis and the formation of the political authority, individual liberty and political authority to reconcile and other aspects of the political authority.The effect of modern social contract theory on the modern political modernization of the European country can’t be ignored. It is not difficult to find that three political modernization mode happens to coincide with the three social contract theory from the process of political modernization in the three major European countries, the United Kingdom, France and Germany in. Although there is no evidence in the history of mankind to prove that the formation of political and social carried out in accordance with the Construction of the Social Contract, there is no doubt about its effects on the modern state and political practice. These effects are not consistent performance of the political system of the modern state in the political system constructed by the extent to which the social contract theory, but is reflected in the judgment of the social contract theory of human nature, the understanding of the value of freedom, the limits of political power, as well as personal in what sense, the relationship with the Government’s argument from a theoretical concept to become a political practice guidelines.The rise of individualism is the historical background of modern Western society; social contract theory thinkers explored the reconstruction of political authority. In terms of the moment, we live in the era of the rise of individualism, while political authority is everywhere but weak, how to reshape the political authority while protecting individual liberties are the important issues we have to face. Studying modern social contract theory thinking and the answer to this question is not only conducive to the origin and nature of clear understanding of the current issues, but also can provide some help to solve these problems. This is the fundamental purpose and the significance of this writing.