Which statement best summarizes the 'social contract' concept?

Which statement best summarizes the 'social contract' concept?

• A. People are subjects of a divine ruler.
• B. People agree to be governed in exchange for protection of rights.
• C. Government exists to preserve the interests of the aristocracy.
• D. Rights are granted only by the church.

Answer: (B)

The social contract idea is that people consent to be governed in exchange for protection of their rights. This view, central to Enlightenment thought, holds that political authority rests on an agreement among individuals to form a society and grant the ruler enough power to maintain order while safeguarding natural rights like life, liberty, and property. When government fulfills that protection, its authority is legitimate; when it violates those rights, people have justification to withdraw consent or change the government. That’s why the statement describing people agreeing to be governed in exchange for protection of rights is the best fit. The other statements point to divine-right rule, aristocratic self-interest, or rights granted by the church, which do not capture the consent-based, rights-protecting basis of the social contract.

The social contract idea is that people consent to be governed in exchange for protection of their rights. This view, central to Enlightenment thought, holds that political authority rests on an agreement among individuals to form a society and grant the ruler enough power to maintain order while safeguarding natural rights like life, liberty, and property. When government fulfills that protection, its authority is legitimate; when it violates those rights, people have justification to withdraw consent or change the government. That’s why the statement describing people agreeing to be governed in exchange for protection of rights is the best fit. The other statements point to divine-right rule, aristocratic self-interest, or rights granted by the church, which do not capture the consent-based, rights-protecting basis of the social contract.