---

This essay was written for an undergraduate Political Science course asking about fairness in the social contract. It is a reflection of my abilities and views at the time it was written.

---

        As a society, we have come to understand the social contract as “the view that persons’ moral and/or political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the society in which they live”¹. The West has largely based its political structure on this core tenet of ideology, and it has even stretched into the legal system that governs the whole body. Many critiques have been made against the original contract for not fairly and equally representing all members of society. The original social contract has since been renegotiated to include considerations for previously excluded individuals, such as women and people of color. Although improvements have been made, several vulnerable groups have still been left out of most modern discussions, particularly the environment and future generations. In order for the government to truly fulfill its obligation under the social contract, it must expand protections to future generations by securing the ecosystem that sustains the rights and survival of all citizens.  

Historically, the social contract was seen as necessary to preserve the well-being and collective identity of a state’s subjects, including protections for the future stability and welfare of its citizens. Political philosopher Jean- Jacques Rousseau argued that an agreement between government and society benefited all citizens and produced a sense of kinship that would generate compassion towards one another. Rousseau envisioned a social contract that worked to mutually benefit all parties and preserve stability and equality, “as a member of the sovereign he has a commitment to each of the individuals, he being one of them” (Rousseau 8). John Locke had a more practical view on the importance of the social contract. He believed the purpose of a people submitting to their government was for “the preservation of their property” (Locke 40). Both philosophers agreed that the social contract should be an implicit agreement between governments and citizens to provide protections and preserve the welfare and posterity of all. In order to fulfil that agreement, the future of the nation’s citizens must be ensured.

         However, although the social contract claimed to equally represent all people, many groups were still excluded. In The Sexual Contract, political theorist Carole Pateman argues that the original social contract adopted by the West was an unequal agreement because it explicitly excludes women from society. She raises questions about whether the social contract can truly represent universal freedom when it institutionalizes inequality.² This inequality is not limited to women. Later, philosopher Charles Mills tied the social contract to an institutionalized “racial contract” that shows how deeply ingrained inequity is within this implicit agreement³. This raises concerns about other hidden groups not represented by the social contract, such as future generations and entire ecosystems. By neglecting to consider the ecosystem in the social contract, important natural resources are left vulnerable to the laws and social structures that have resulted. To apply the contract fairly, the environment and the future residents who will inherit it must also be considered.

         Additionally, all of human society depends on the environment and natural resources for survival. Since humanity relies on these resources, the social contract must include protections for them. As a result, the government also indirectly relies on the maintenance of the ecosystem to thrive. In 2006, British politician David Miliband stated, “all Government departments are departments of the environment,”⁴ meaning government and the ecosystem are intrinsically linked. Every policy the government issues has either a direct or indirect effect on environmental resources. Therefore, governments around the world owe a moral duty to the environment and future generations when making policies that will determine their future.

Furthermore, strong environmental protections guarantee an ecosystem that can sustain life for future generations. By changing government policies concerning the ecosystem, the way societies relate to the Earth also changes. Miliband further lays out his ideal policy: “an environmental contract would have new and clear rights and responsibilities for Government, for business and for individuals, to balance what we take from nature and what we give back. The old system of ‘too much take and too little give’ is bad for the planet, bad for business and bad for the most disadvantaged.”⁶ David Miliband understood that the resources of nature were not indefinite. The government’s obligation to uphold the social contract is what ensures a balance is maintained to protect the planet and everything that encompasses it, securing posterity for future generations.

         Conversely, some may disagree that the government is responsible for the well-being of the entire ecosystem. Several political groups believe environmental regulations restrict individual rights; therefore, government policies should be limited. However, failing to uphold environmental regulations has serious negative consequences, both for current and future citizens. In the 2022 court case, United States v. The City of Jackson, Mississippi, the federal courts ruled that city and state policies violated the Clean Water Act, leading to a massive public health concern⁵. This led to an environmental crisis as the Mississippi government failed for over a decade to protect its citizens’ basic rights, like access to clean water⁶ . This precedent reinforces the argument that environmental justice and basic human rights are inseparable; therefore, the responsibility to uphold these protections belongs to the government.

Finally, while remedies have been made to correct the institutional exclusion experienced by many citizens, little has been said about how the social contract fails in its duties to represent future generations by securing the preservation of our natural resources. Politicians like David Miliband and cases such as United States v. the City of Jackson, Mississippi, serve as a reminder of the government’s obligations to environmental justice and the consequences of failing to uphold those duties. The social contract has also historically been applied unfairly and has failed to adequately protect all citizens, including those who will inherit the environment that has been neglected. If the goal of the social contract is to provide for the welfare and general good of society, then protecting and maintaining the life-giving ecosystems that our society depends on for survival is required by the nature of this contract. A truly fair social contract must extend protections to the environment in order to secure life and prosperity for future generations.

---

29 March, 2026

---

Footnotes

1. Friend, Celeste. “Social Contract Theory.” Internet encyclopedia of philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/soc-cont./.  
2. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “The Social Contract Jean-Jacques Rousseau.” The Social Contract,     www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/rousseau1762.pdf. 8.
3. Locke, John. “Second Treatise of Government John Locke.” The Second Treatise of Government,   www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1689a.pdf. 40.
4. Pateman, Carole G. The Sexual Contract: 30th Anniversary Edition, with a New Preface by the Author. (Stanford University Press, 2018.)
5. Mills, Charles W. Racial Contract. (Cornell University Press, 2022.)
6. Miliband, David. “Defra, UK – News – News Releases.” Wayback Machine, 12 May 2006, www.web.archive.org/web/20070205223733/www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/060512a.htm.
7. “The United States of America, and the State of Mississippi v. the City of Jackson, Mississippi.”  Mississippi Free Press, 26 July 2023, www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/661312005-Proposed-stipulated-order.pdf.
8. Pittman, Ashton. “Jackson Sewer System Now under Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin’s Control.” Mississippi Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024, https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-sewer-system-now-under-third-party-manager-ted-henifins-control/. 
   

---

Bibliography

Friend, Celeste. “Social Contract Theory.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://iep.utm.edu/soc-cont./ 

Locke, John. The Second Treatise of Government, www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1689a.pdf.

Miliband, David. “Defra, UK – News – News Releases.” Wayback Machine, 12 May 2006, www.web.archive.org/web/20070205223733/www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/060512a.htm       

Mills, Charles W. Racial Contract. Cornell University Press, 2022.

Pateman, Carole G. The Sexual Contract: 30th Anniversary Edition, with a New Preface by the Author. Stanford University Press, 2018.

Pittman, Ashton. “Jackson Sewer System Now under Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin’s Control.” Mississippi Free Press, 21 Nov. 2024, https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-sewer-system-now-under-third-party-manager-ted-henifins-control/.  

Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “The Social Contract Jean-Jacques Rousseau.” The Social Contract, www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/rousseau1762.pdf. 

---

Read More

---

---