Contract Theory and the Status of the Individual in Suarez (1548˗1617) and Locke (1632-1704) - Paperback

by Jean-Paul Coujou (Author)

Coujou's contract theory examines how political authority emerges from the tension between natural freedom and the necessity of civil order. Drawing on Suárez and Locke, it argues that legitimate power arises through collective consent grounded in natural law, not domination. Political society is thus a rational and moral construction oriented toward the common good, where law mediates freedom, equality, and obligation, ensuring that authority remains accountable to the principles of justice inherent in human nature.