IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-03180755.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Evaluating social contract theory in the light of evolutionary social science

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Seabright

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, IAST - Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse)

  • Jonathan Stieglitz

    (IAST - Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse)

  • Karine van Der Straeten

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, IAST - Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse)

Abstract

Political philosophers have long drawn explicitly or implicitly on claims about the ways in which humanbehaviour is shaped by interactions within society. These claims have usually been based on introspection,anecdotes or casual empiricism, but recent empirical research has informed a number of early views abouthuman nature. We focus here on five components of such views: (1) what motivates human beings; (2)what constraints our natural and social environments impose upon us; (3) what kind of society emerges asa result; (4) what constitutes a fulfilling life; and (5) what collective solutions can improve the outcome.We examine social contract theory as developed by some early influential political philosophers (Hobbes,Locke and Rousseau), who viewed the social contract as a device to compare the‘natural'state of humanswith their behaviour in society. We examine their views in the light of recent cross-cultural empiricalresearch in the evolutionary social sciences. We conclude that social contract theorists severely underes-timated human behavioural complexity in societies lacking formal institutions. Had these theorists beenmore informed about the structure and function of social arrangements in small-scale societies, theymight have significantly altered their views about the design and enforcement of social contracts.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Seabright & Jonathan Stieglitz & Karine van Der Straeten, 2021. "Evaluating social contract theory in the light of evolutionary social science," Post-Print hal-03180755, HAL.
  • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03180755
    DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.4
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03180755v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-03180755v1/document
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1017/ehs.2021.4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joseph Henrich, 2001. "In Search of Homo Economicus: Behavioral Experiments in 15 Small-Scale Societies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 73-78, May.
    2. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2008. "Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1733-1749, April.
    3. Martin Kuhlwilm & Ilan Gronau & Melissa J. Hubisz & Cesare de Filippo & Javier Prado-Martinez & Martin Kircher & Qiaomei Fu & Hernán A. Burbano & Carles Lalueza-Fox & Marco de la Rasilla & Antonio Ros, 2016. "Ancient gene flow from early modern humans into Eastern Neanderthals," Nature, Nature, vol. 530(7591), pages 429-433, February.
    4. Fischbacher, Urs & Gachter, Simon & Fehr, Ernst, 2001. "Are people conditionally cooperative? Evidence from a public goods experiment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 397-404, June.
    5. Ernst Fehr & Georg Kirchsteiger & Arno Riedl, 1993. "Does Fairness Prevent Market Clearing? An Experimental Investigation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(2), pages 437-459.
    6. Ingela Alger & Jörgen W. Weibull, 2019. "Evolutionary Models of Preference Formation," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 329-354, August.
    7. Ernst Fehr & Klaus M. Schmidt, 1999. "A Theory of Fairness, Competition, and Cooperation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(3), pages 817-868.
    8. Christoph Engel, 2011. "Dictator games: a meta study," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 14(4), pages 583-610, November.
    9. Ingela Alger & Paul L. Hooper & Donald Cox & Jonathan Stieglitz & Hillard S. Kaplan, 2020. "Paternal provisioning results from ecological change," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(20), pages 10746-10754, May.
    10. Sarah Mathew, 2017. "How the Second-Order Free Rider Problem Is Solved in a Small-Scale Society," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 578-581, May.
    11. Luke Glowacki & Michael Wilson & Richard Wrangham, 2020. "The evolutionary anthropology of war," Post-Print hal-03176490, HAL.
    12. Kirby, Kris N. & Godoy, Ricardo & Reyes-Garcia, Victoria & Byron, Elizabeth & Apaza, Lilian & Leonard, William & Perez, Eddy & Vadez, Vincent & Wilkie, David, 2002. "Correlates of delay-discount rates: Evidence from Tsimane' Amerindians of the Bolivian rain forest," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 291-316, June.
    13. Eleanor A. Power, 2017. "Social support networks and religiosity in rural South India," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(3), pages 1-6, March.
    14. repec:cup:cbooks:9780521555838 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Daniel Sznycer & Dimitris Xygalatas & Elizabeth Agey & Sarah Alami & Xiao-Fen An & Kristina I. Ananyeva & Quentin D. Atkinson & Bernardo R. Broitman & Thomas J. Conte & Carola Flores & Shintaro Fukush, 2018. "Cross-cultural invariances in the architecture of shame," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115(39), pages 9702-9702, September.
    16. Ernst Fehr & Urs Fischbacher, "undated". "Third Party Punishment and Social Norms," IEW - Working Papers 106, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    17. Ernst Fehr & Simon Gachter & Georg Kirchsteiger, 1997. "Reciprocity as a Contract Enforcement Device: Experimental Evidence," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(4), pages 833-860, July.
    18. Maxime Derex & Jean-François Bonnefon & Robert Boyd & Alex Mesoudi, 2019. "Causal understanding is not necessary for the improvement of culturally evolving technology," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(5), pages 446-452, May.
    19. Brooke A. Scelza & Sean P. Prall & Tami Blumenfield & Alyssa N. Crittenden & Michael Gurven & Michelle Kline & Jeremy Koster & Geoff Kushnick & Siobhán M. Mattison & Elizabeth Pillsworth & Mary K. She, 2020. "Patterns of paternal investment predict cross-cultural variation in jealous response," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 20-26, January.
    20. Glowacki, Luke & Wilson, Michael L. & Wrangham, Richard W., 2020. "The evolutionary anthropology of war," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 963-982.
    21. Simon Gachter & Ernst Fehr, 2000. "Cooperation and Punishment in Public Goods Experiments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(4), pages 980-994, September.
    22. Daniel Smith & Philip Schlaepfer & Katie Major & Mark Dyble & Abigail E. Page & James Thompson & Nikhil Chaudhary & Gul Deniz Salali & Ruth Mace & Leonora Astete & Marilyn Ngales & Lucio Vinicius & An, 2017. "Cooperation and the evolution of hunter-gatherer storytelling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    23. Jonathan Stieglitz & Eric Schniter & Christopher von Rueden & Hillard Kaplan & Michael Gurven, 2015. "Functional Disability and Social Conflict Increase Risk of Depression in Older Adulthood Among Bolivian Forager-Farmers," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(6), pages 948-956.
    24. Zachary Garfield & Kristen Syme & Edward H. Hagen, 2020. "Universal and variable leadership dimensions across human societies," Post-Print hal-03162384, HAL.
    25. A. B. Migliano & A. E. Page & J. Gómez-Gardeñes & G. D. Salali & S. Viguier & M. Dyble & J. Thompson & Nikhill Chaudhary & D. Smith & J. Strods & R. Mace & M. G. Thomas & V. Latora & L. Vinicius, 2017. "Characterization of hunter-gatherer networks and implications for cumulative culture," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 1-6, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fehr, Ernst & Schmidt, Klaus M., 2005. "The Economics of Fairness, Reciprocity and Altruism – Experimental Evidence and New Theories," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 66, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
    2. Jacobs Martin, 2016. "Accounting for Changing Tastes: Approaches to Explaining Unstable Individual Preferences," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 67(2), pages 121-183, August.
    3. Dohmen, Thomas, 2014. "Behavioral labor economics: Advances and future directions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 71-85.
    4. Tobias Hahn & Noël Albert, 2017. "Strong Reciprocity in Consumer Boycotts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 509-524, October.
    5. Fehr, Ernst & Falk, Armin, 2002. "Psychological foundations of incentives," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(4-5), pages 687-724, May.
    6. Graf Lambsdorff, Johann & Giamattei, Marcus & Werner, Katharina & Schubert, Manuel, 2016. "Emotion vs. cognition - Experimental evidence on cooperation from the 2014 Soccer World Cup," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-72-16, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    7. David Masclet & David L. Dickinson, 2019. "Incorporating Conditional Morality into Economic Decisions," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 2019-10, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    8. Simon Gaechter, 2014. "Human Pro-Social Motivation and the Maintenance of Social Order," Discussion Papers 2014-02, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.
    9. Kovarik, Jaromir, 2009. "Social Preferences - Literature Survey," IKERLANAK 2009-36, Universidad del País Vasco - Departamento de Fundamentos del Análisis Económico I.
    10. Leonardo Becchetti & Francesco Salustri, 2019. "The Vote with the Wallet Game: Responsible Consumerism as a Multiplayer Prisoner’s Dilemma," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-22, February.
    11. Committee, Nobel Prize, 2017. "Richard H. Thaler: Integrating Economics with Psychology," Nobel Prize in Economics documents 2017-1, Nobel Prize Committee.
    12. Ananish Chaudhuri, 2016. "Recent Advances in Experimental Studies of Social Dilemma Games," Games, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-11, February.
    13. Bruno S. Frey & Stephan Meier, "undated". "Pro-Social Behavior, Reciprocity or Both?," IEW - Working Papers 107, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - University of Zurich.
    14. Sun-Ki Chai & Dolgorsuren Dorj & Katerina Sherstyuk, 2018. "Cultural Values and Behavior in Dictator, Ultimatum, and Trust Games: An Experimental Study," Research in Experimental Economics, in: Experimental Economics and Culture, volume 20, pages 89-166, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    15. Bartoš, Vojtěch, 2021. "Seasonal scarcity and sharing norms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 303-316.
    16. Fluet, Claude & Galbiati, Rpbertp, 2016. "Lois et normes : les enseignements de l'économie comportementale," L'Actualité Economique, Société Canadienne de Science Economique, vol. 92(1-2), pages 191-215, Mars-Juin.
    17. Leonardo Becchetti & Francesco Salustri, 2015. "The Vote With the Wallet as a Multiplayer Prisoner’s Dilemma," CEIS Research Paper 359, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 08 Nov 2015.
    18. Charness, Gary & Cobo-Reyes, Ramón & Jiménez, Natalia, 2008. "An investment game with third-party intervention," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 18-28, October.
    19. Erik O. Kimbrough & Alexander Vostroknutov, 2016. "Norms Make Preferences Social," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 608-638, June.
    20. Klaus M. Schmidt, 2011. "Social Preferences and Competition," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43, pages 207-231, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03180755. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.