The idea that nothing can be known for certain is a form of skepticism.
The social contract is an implicit agreement between a society's members and its governing authority, where citizens agree to give up certain freedoms in exchange for protection and support provided by the government. It involves the idea that individuals consent to being governed in exchange for the benefits and security that the government provides.
This idea is called social contract theory. It suggests that individuals implicitly agree to give up certain freedoms to a governing authority in exchange for protection and the maintenance of social order.
John Locke, a philosopher known for his contributions to the development of liberalism, is often credited with the idea that without law, there can be no freedom. In his work, he argued that a society needs a well-structured legal system to protect the individual rights and freedoms of its citizens.
Limited Government is the idea that the government does not have complete power. Citizens have certain rights that the government cannot take away.
Equal Justice
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is often credited with the idea of the social contract. He argued that there is an agreement between individuals and their government, where individuals surrender certain freedoms in exchange for protection of their natural rights.
The Enlightenment thinker who first proposed the idea of a social contract was Thomas Hobbes in his work "Leviathan". He argued that individuals willingly give up certain freedoms in exchange for protection and order from a sovereign authority.
Natural law, a concept that suggests certain rights are inherent to all humans, played a critical role in shaping Enlightenment ideas around individual rights, freedoms, and governance. In terms of economic life, natural law influenced thinkers to advocate for policies that protected property rights and promoted free trade, contributing to the development of capitalist economic systems and the idea of an invisible hand governing the economy.
power distance
Individual freedoms are best protected by state governments
The main idea behind the segregation of church and state is to ensure that religious institutions do not have direct influence or control over government affairs, and vice versa. This separation helps to protect individual freedoms, prevent religious discrimination, and maintain a fair and impartial government that represents all citizens, regardless of their beliefs.