Contract theory
From Internet: Knowledge and Community
Contract theory or the social contract is the idea that individuals would sacrifice certain self interests in order to come together under a rule of law to form a community. In John Rawls' A Theory of Justice, he proposes the contract theory of justice as fairness. He notes that justice as fairness, just like other contract views is comprised of two parts: "(1) An interpretation of the initial situation and of the problem of choice posed there, and (2) a set of principles which, it is argued, would be agreed to. citation needed. Contract theory serves as a starting point, so to speak, when postulating what kind of a society should be strived for. Rawls defends the merits of contract theory by saying, "The merit of the contract theory is that it conveys the idea that principles of justice may be conceived as principles that would be chosen by rational persons." citation needed
