Contractarianism
Contractarianism The ethical theories we have studied thus far focus primarily on what we might call ordinary, everyday ethics; the ethics of interactions between individuals. ... ” That is the basic insight of contractarianism. ... One criticism of contractarianism is that it is based on an abstract and sterile view of the relationship between the individual and society. Contractarianism seems to assume that fully-formed, rational individuals might somehow exist apart from society, and that society is formed when these rational individuals enter into relationships with each other because it is in their mutual interest to do so. ... Another way of stating the above point is that there is no place in contractarianism for the principle of respect for persons. ... (Note that there are other versions of contractarianism that are not as extreme as the Gauthier/Narveson version presented above. ... ) Concluding Comment We have surveyed four approaches that attempt to identify the basic principles of ethics and provide a rational justification for ethical judgements: Utilitarianism, Kant’s principles, the rights-based approach, and contractarianism.