obedience of his subjects. The theory of social contract is based on
a myth. It is supposed that, at first, there was no restraint placed on
man's action. Law and order did not exist and men had no
conception of rights and duties. The law of the jungle prevailed and
every man fought for his own interest. This condition of
lawlessness soon became intolerable. The sense of insecurity
became too painful. Even the strong man was assailed by the fear
that a stronger one might come any time and deprive him of his
possessions. Men eventually came together and agreed to pay any
price for social security. They agreed to relinquish their freedom and
put themselves under the absolute authority of a king. The king's
duty was to enforce the laws and see that no injustice was done to
any of his subjects. The king's right to rule had, therefore, its source
in the consent of the people. That consent might be withdrawn if
the king failed to discharge the duty assigned to him. Kingship, thus,
came to be regarded as a man-made institution. Popular will had
made him the king and popular will might dethrone him.
The theory of social contract was not, however, based on a
conscious historical fact. Nevertheless, it was ingenious in its own
way. It divested kingship of its celestial power and made the general
will of the people the ultimate source of authority. The way was thus
paved for the advent of democracy.
With the rise of democracy, the problem of sovereignty came to
the fore. To whom does sovereignty belong? Different answers were
given but they all agree in vesting it in the people. Rousseau
maintained that sovereignty belonged to people as a whole. Locke
held that it belonged to the majority of the people. Karl Marx vests
it in those who control the means of production. Capitalism vests
sovereignty in the capitalist class while Socialism vests it in the
labouring class.
V. DemocracyDemocracy is now generally regarded as the best form of
government. It developed chiefly in the West, but people in Asia and
Africa also regard it as the last word in political wisdom. Let us
examine its claims carefully and see how far the praise showered
upon it is justified. Democracy has been defined as the government
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