"Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher. Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."
—Thomas Paine, *Common Sense*, 1776
Which of the following Enlightenment ideas is most clearly reflected in the passage above?
- AThe ideology of Social Darwinism, which argues that state systems should let natural selection dictate which social classes succeed.
- The belief that governments are formed through a social contract in which individuals delegate authority to protect their safety and rights.Answer
- CThe economic framework of mercantilism, which asserts that the state must restrict trade and accumulate bullion to maximize national power.
- DThe theory of Marxism, which advocates for the industrial working class to overthrow the capitalist state and establish a classless society.
Answer
The belief that governments are formed through a social contract in which individuals delegate authority to protect their safety and rights.
The correct option is correct because Paine's argument that government is established to restrain our vices and that living under a bad government is worse than living in a state of nature ('a country without government') directly aligns with the Enlightenment concept of the social contract. Under this theory, individuals leave the state of nature and consent to the establishment of government authority in order to secure their safety, liberty, and rights.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Social Contract Theory