Michael Niel Angelo C.

Bulatao
2011-31183
Socio 11

Social Contract Theory

Social contract refers to the inferred covenant between people to submit their rights on a
sovereign in order to maintain social order. In simple terms, people give up their rights to the
government in order to receive protection and achieve peace. Proponents of this theory explain
the rationale by narrating a heuristic situation with no social order referred to as the state of
nature. The actions of the people in this universe are mainly based on their conscience. With
this, varying points were raised by the theorist behind it and discussed how beneficial it is for an
individual to surrender his/her rights by forming the so-called government.
The theories made by philosophers differ based on the purpose of the government.
Some used it to define the authority of the sovereign to its people while others take it as an
instrument to protect the individual from oppression by a too powerful sovereign.
The former argument was the one proposed by Thomas Hobbes in 1651. He stated that
men are naturally drawn to peace for they fear death. People become aggressive towards one
another when they feel that their life is being compromised. The idea of self-preservation is
inherent among people so they voluntarily agreed to surrender their rights and freedoms to an
authority and this authority, in return, must protect the peoples right and property. The
protection of our rights is in the form of laws and punishments and we are deemed to follow
these in order to sustain peace and for the government to continue their job.
While watching the news, I remembered this theory after learning that the Bangsamoro
Acts draft was already signed by the leaders of Muslim Mindanao and the other stakeholders.
The law calls for the autonomy and political identity of the Bangsamoro and in turn abolishing
the former ARMM. It is made as a peace pact between the government and Moro Islamic
Liberation Font (MILF). With this I get to relate the social contract theory and this Bangsamoro
Act.
One of the features of the social contract theory is that a place must have people living
in the so called state of nature. Before the establishment of ARMM, the Muslim Mindanao is the
nest of countless encounters between the army and rebels. The region was the home of the first
Muslims in the country and was greatly influenced by the teachings of Islam. As history had
narrated, colonizers failed to spread Christianity on their place and is the primary argument for
their request to separate themselves from the country. The region then had created a unique
culture and identity. And since then, the hostility between the government and the so-called
Moros had started. With this, the first assumption of the theory was recognized.
The second assumption is that the individuals wanted to escape that state of nature and
thereby entered a social contract. In order to put a stop to the endless wars, the government
had taken the initiative to make peaceful amendments with the rebels and agreed to a pact.
Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s had first made a move and suggested the Autonomous Region
of the Southern Philippines. It was unfortunately turned down because of a plebescite. In 1989,
a new region was proclaimed by law in order to secure an autonomous mandate for the Muslim
Mindanao and was termed as the Act to Strengthen and Expand the Organic Act for the ARMM.
With the failures of the ARMM started again countless encounters more with the army and the Moros
until lately, the first step towards their agreement was finally made.

Finally, it follows that in exchange of the stability, security and political order, the
Bangsomoros must be obliged to respect and follow the state. I am curious how could this be
attained by the leaders of the Bangsamoro once it became a law. Remember that ARMM failed due
to corruption and misunderstandings between leaders. It is a challenge indeed for the future leaders
to secure and ensure that this act must not be another ARMM incident.
The social contract theory indeed can be applied to this feat by the PNoy government.
However, we must analyze deeply and scrutinize more the act in order to prevent such mishaps by
the ARMM for a more peaceful and prosperous Muslim Mindanao region.