sexual contract

One of the most popular theory on state is social contract theory. Thomas Hobbes (1651), John Locke (1689), and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762) are the most famous philosophers of contractarianism. The notion of this theory is the society give their sovereignty to the state in order to receive or maintain social order through role of law. Meaning that the basis the basis of government is consent, in where people are agree to be roled and government are entitled to role.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) came with the idea of a state of nature (anarchy condition), and in that condition, there are no social goods. In order to produce the things that not exist, social cooperation is needed so people will not harm each other and people must rely on one another to keep their agreement. It means that in order to have social order, people need government and in establishing government people give some of their personal freedom, and give authority to the government to enforce laws and agreements. So, those who living under a government are parties to a social contract.

Social contract theory argue that “the state exists to enforce the rules necessary for social living, while morality consists in the whole set of rules that facilitate social living”. (Rachels, p. 144) Thus, government is needed to enforce the basic rules of social living (e.g. don’t rob people, don’t break agreements), while morality may encompass some rules that are important for social living but are outside the scope of the state (this might include, for example, “Don’t insult people for no reason”.)


Sexual contract is the critic to social contract theory. She address that admittedly women are found as equals in their relations with men, but they are not part of that group which later contracted in to form the political state. Social contract theory does not challenge the original patriarchal right. As Sir Robert Filmer claimed that political power is paternal power. Meaning that when they talking about individual, they talking about individual man. Women is missing in the social contract theory. If men getting their right because they give their contract to the state, so women having their right because of their relations with men.

If social contract is the story of freedom, sexual contract is the story of subjection. The story of sexual contract is to show how sexual difference (whether man or woman and the contraction) as political difference, is central to the civil society (Pateman).

to be continue....


References
"Social Contract Theory," available online on http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/sct.htm (03/03/2011)
"Social Contract Theory," available online on http://www.politicalphilosophy.info/socialcontracttheory.html.