Social Contract as a Noumenon: The Experience of Sociological Understanding

Occupation: Scientific Director and Head of Chair of Theory and History of Sociology; Chief Researcher
Affiliation:
Russian State University for the Humanities
Institute of Sociology FCTAS RAS
Address: Moscow, Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya

Edition

Issue 6

Pages

3-15

Abstract

The article characterizes the process of emergence in social cognition of social contract ideas, first put forward and substantiated by the Enlightenment thinkers. They formulated ideas about its essence and content interpreted as a social contract between the people and the state with the focus of attention on latent, implicit nature of this process. A significant place is given to analysis of existing theories of the social contract, tо identifying their features on the basis of diverse options of its interpretation and implementation in the modern scholarship. Particular attention is paid to the identifying main characteristics of the social contracts, its semantic essence as a unity of goals of their participants accentuating observance of mutual trust, coordination of interests, constant feedback. Modern interpretations of the social contract are discussed, as well as attempts to offer new options for understanding practices of its implementation in current socio-political life. It is emphasized that the social contract as a noumenon contains not only obvious, but also latent criteria, expressing the constantly changing qualitative state of society and requiring regular customizable interaction between the people and the state.

Keywords

social contract, state, society, people, public consciousness, trust, consent, compromise, consensus

Received

03.07.2023

Publication date

12.07.2023

Number of characters

38632

Cite

GOST	Toschenko Z. Social Contract as a Noumenon: The Experience of Sociological Understanding // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2023. – Issue 6 C. 3-15 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250026379-9-1-en (circulation date: 02.05.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250026379-9
MLA	Toschenko, Zhan T "Social Contract as a Noumenon: The Experience of Sociological Understanding." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 6 (2023):3-15. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250026379-9
APA	Toschenko Z. (2023). Social Contract as a Noumenon: The Experience of Sociological Understanding. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (6), pp.3-15 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250026379-9

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