Life Before Government
To understand the principles of the Declaration of Independence, it helps to imagine something that the founders thought about—life before government. They called this condition "the state of nature." Here's the scenario:
Imagine living in a society that never had a government. Everybody has complete and total freedom and can do whatever they want. Punishments for theft, fighting, and even murder do not exist. People must rely on their strength or their smarts to survive because no police force exists to protect them.
Quick Reflection: Think about the above scenario. Would you like to live in a society that never had a government? Why or why not? Do you trust people to respect each other? Write a brief reflection using your notes.
The philosopher Thomas Hobbes described the state of nature as a place of frequent fights where everyone was in constant danger. He famously called life there "nasty, brutish, solitary, and short." This image helped Hobbes — and the Founders — conceive of government as a solution to the awful life in the state of nature. Government protects the people from each other. In order for government to do this, the people have to restrict their freedom to do whatever they want. No longer can they kill, steal, and fight without consequences.
Let's Make a Deal
The Founders concluded that setting up a government represents a deal between the state and its people. The people give up their total freedom, but in return, the government has to provide the people with protection.
This agreement is called a social contract. Like any contract, one side gives something up but then gets something in return from the other side.
Quick Reflection: Have you ever signed a contract to do something? What did you have to do? What did you get in return?
Activity
Rewrite that section of the Declaration of Independence as a contract. Select the words or phrases from the Declaration of Independence (below the contract) and place them in their appropriate location.
It is important to keep in mind that there actually is no real social contract. Remember, we started this section by imagining the state of nature. The social contract, therefore, is also imaginary.
However, the Declaration of Independence treats the contract as if it were real. The American system of government is based on a core belief that government is a deal between its citizens and the state to preserve rights. You might say that this is why we call it a belief. It cannot be proven or demonstrated, but society believes it to be true and acts accordingly.
In the next section, we will take a closer look at the principles behind this line of thought.