From Natural Politics to Social Contract in the History of Ideas

Simon Kennedy

10am UTC, 8pm Melbourne time

The social contract is a general theory that undergirds some modern conceptions of social and political order. It also helps explain and theorise why people cooperate. But social contract theory hasn't always been the leading explanation for these things. This paper explores pre-modern theories of social and political agreement, focusing on the medieval and early modern theological theories of political society. The conclusion will draw a contrast between modern and pre-modern theories, and explore the meaning of the secularisation of theories of society and politics.

Simon Kennedy is an intellectual historian and historian of political thought. His research focuses on early modern Protestant political ideas and jurisprudence. His publications include Reforming the Law of Nature: The Secularization of Political Thought, 1532-1689 (Edinburgh UP, 2022). His current projects include an examination of the role that interpretations of the Decalogue played in forming early Protestant understandings of political authority. He is also working on the problem of implementing an intellectual historical methodology in constitutional interpretation.