Final answer:
The philosopher who first hinted at Social Contract theory in The Republic was Plato. His work laid the groundwork for later philosophers who developed the concept during the Enlightenment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ancient Greek philosopher who first hinted at a Social Contract theory in The Republic was Plato. In this foundational text, Plato explores the nature of justice and the role of the citizen in a just society. He uses Socratic dialogue to question and refine ideas about government and the responsibilities and rights of individuals within a state. While The Republic does not explicitly outline a social contract theory as developed later by philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, it nonetheless provides an early conceptual framework for thinking about the legitimacy of the state and the moral and ethical obligations of citizens. This ancient philosophical inquiry sets the stage for more detailed theories of social contract that emerged during the Enlightenment.