Research On Three-tier Contract Theory Of Gassendi

It is generally believed by the academic circle that Hobbes is a pioneer of the modern social contract theory and the first thinker that associated the natural law theory with the social contract theory. However, the author finds that in the field of social contract research, prior to Hobbes, a thinker had formed a more complete social contract theory. Therefore, in this paper, this consensus is questioned by the author. Scholars have made massive research on great thinkers (such as (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and recent Rawls) in the framework of social contract theories, but made rare research on the social contract theory by Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655). In terms of the philosophy, in many versions of the history of philosophy, few words or even no word are used to introduce ideas of Gassendi (who is usually taken as the opponent of Cartesian). Moreover, the three-tier contract theory, as the core of his political philosophy, is rarely known by the public. As a think like Hobbes who had formed a complete theoretical system, Gassendi has not caught due attention of the public. In many versions of the history of philosophy, he is usually mentioned to introduce Descartes. In the field of political philosophy, he could not even appear along with Hobbes and Locke (in fact, from different perspectives, Hobbes and Locke refute the contract theory of Gassendi and were affected by Gassendi in varying degrees). Therefore, it is quite incredible that although Gassendi is one of traditional thinkers in the field of classical contract theories, he has not caught sufficient attention as other traditional thinkersTherefore, in this paper, illustrations are made to the systematic theory of Gassendi, in particular, the contract ethics theory proposed by Gassendi as a neo-epicureanist during the middle and latter periods of Gassendi. As Locke proposed his theory from the perspective that God creates equal individuals, Hobbes made research from the perspective of individuals born to be equal. It can be seen that starting from the human nature to strive for happiness and avoid misery, Gassendi also proposed a set of natural law theories and the normative proof for the political community which were gained based on the natural law theories. This normative proof was also resorted to the traditional social contract theory. Meanwhile, comparisons are made by the author between the "three-tier contract theory" of Gassendi and the social contract theory by Hobbes and Locke as two outstanding scholars in the field of social contracts to further prove the huge impact of Gassendi’s theory on this field and analyze reasons why the huge impact was gradually ignored by the academic circle. At last, the author hopes to make Gassendi gain a proper position in the field of social contract research, by introducing theories proposed by Gassendi in the field of political philosophy and influence produced by his theories.