Pacto social y cuerpo político en la teoría política clásica

Abstract

This essay presents a general overview of the problems related to the concept of the social contract as put forth in classical theory (Hobbes, Locke, Rous¬seau) and gives an idea of the inheritance left for future reflection. As a first step, the questions and central suppositions of the theory are identified and the meaning of the concept of the social contract is summarized. Attention is drawn to the concept the authors had of human nature in order to subsequently point out the meaning which they attributed to the human body as a model of the state or the "body politic", created by the contract. The central thesis of the article sustains that the image of the state as a "body" permits a better understanding, both of the problem established by the authors, as well as the differences in the conception of the nature and meaning of the contract and the scope of the political mandate they attempt to establish.