Michele Moody-Adams' "The Social Contract and the Myth of Amoralism" argues that traditional social contract theory, by positing individuals as fundamentally amoral and self-interested, fails to adequately account for the role of moral reasoning and social bonds in establishing and maintaining political society. She contends that rather than emerging from a purely hypothetical state of nature driven by selfish desires, legitimate political authority requires a citizenry capable of moral judgment and commitment to shared norms. The book challenges the notion of the "amoral chooser" as a realistic or desirable foundation for political order, emphasizing that genuine social and political cooperation hinges on mutual respect and a recognition of shared moral obligations.
The key takeaway is that a robust understanding of political obligation cannot rely solely on instrumental rationality or a fear of reprisal. Instead, it must incorporate the ways in which individuals develop moral sentiments, internalize social norms, and engage in reasoned deliberation about justice. Moody-Adams demonstrates how this more nuanced view of human motivation and moral development offers a more plausible and ethically defensible account of the basis for political legitimacy and the duties of citizenship.
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Key concepts
- Moral Development — The process by which individuals acquire moral values and reasoning abilities, essential for participation in a just society.
- Social Norms — Unwritten rules of behavior that are accepted and expected by people in a particular group or society.
- Political Legitimacy — The acceptance by the governed of the rightfulness of the government's authority.
- Amoralism in Social Contract Theory — The theoretical assumption that individuals in a hypothetical pre-political state act purely out of self-interest, without inherent moral considerations.