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According to Social Contract Theory, when is an action morally right?

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Final answer:

An action is morally right according to Social Contract Theory when it follows societal rules, upholds the general will, protects natural rights, and could be universally applied as outlined by Rousseau and Kant.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Social Contract Theory, an action is morally right when it abides by the rules and regulations agreed upon within a society, upholds the general will, and protects natural rights. Enlightenment philosophers such as Rousseau and Kant provided significant contributions to this theory. Rousseau emphasized that when a state fails to protect these rights or maintain the general will, citizens can withdraw their obligations to the state. Kant, on the other hand, formulated the categorical imperative, suggesting that an action is moral if it could be applied universally, that is, if everyone could act on it without contradiction.

Combining these perspectives, an action can be considered morally right if it supports the stability and justice within a society, can be willfully universally applied, and does not infringe upon the natural rights that the social contract is meant to protect.

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