Unitarism and Pluralism in the Political Thoughts of the Proponents of Social Contract

Unitarism and pluralism are the two main trends in political thought based on which all the works of political philosophers from the classical to the contemporary era can be explained and interpreted. Social contract is also one of the most important theories in political thought that explains the transition of human societies from the natural to the civil state. The proponents of social contract (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau) do not have the same explanation of civil state. Therefore, using the analytical-interpretive method, the present paper seeks to compare the views of the proponents of social contract in explaining the civil state on the basis of political unitarism and pluralism. The findings of this study indicate that three different models of unitarism and pluralism are inferred from the political thought of social contract. Contractual unitarism, democratic unitarism, and contractual pluralism are three models that emerge from explaining the position of the three variables of citizens, political groups, and government in the civil state in the political thought of Hobbes, Rousseau, and Locke.