Final answer:
The social contract is an unwritten agreement where individuals give up certain freedoms to a state in exchange for protection, forming the underpinning of Rousseau's political theory. Rousseau's concept of the social contract emphasizes a balance between state authority and individual responsibility in maintaining legitimate governance. The modern social contract focuses on the worker's employability and personal responsibility within a society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the social contract refers to the unwritten and inherited agreement that dictates the individual's behavior within a society, in return for protection and access to necessary societal benefits like security and education. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract was a seminal work in this area, emphasizing that while individuals relinquish some natural rights to the state, they also retain a sense of personal responsibility for ensuring the legitimacy of state authority through the collective will. The elements of a modern social contract extend this notion, focusing on the future employability of the worker and their personal responsibility in a society. Rousseau argued that for a state to be legitimate, it must reflect the general will of its citizens and protect their natural rights. When these conditions are not met, the citizens are justified in withdrawing their support from the state.
Responsibility plays a central role in the dynamic between the state and individuals. It can be both a collective responsibility for citizens to uphold the general will for the common good and an individual responsibility towards one's own continuous development and adherence to societal rules.