Question

question 7 of 24
a group of people lives in a chaotic country that has been devastated by war. there is no government or law enforcement, so people are able to kill and steal freely. to bring order to their lives, the people agree to give up their personal freedom and obey the orders of a single leader.

this concept is an illustration of which enlightenment philosopher’s ideas?

a. voltaire’s theory of the separation of church and state

b. rousseau’s theory of natural rights

c. montesquieu’s theory of the separation of powers

d. hobbes’s theory of the social contract

Explanation:

• Option A: Voltaire's focus was on church - state separation, not the described scenario of people giving up freedom for order, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: Rousseau's natural rights theory emphasizes the general will and a different view of social contract, not the "state of nature" leading to submission to a single leader as described, so B is incorrect.
• Option C: Montesquieu's separation of powers is about dividing government power, not about people's agreement to obey a single leader, so C is incorrect.
• Option D: Hobbes proposed that in the "state of nature" (chaotic, no law), people agree to a social contract, giving up some freedom to a sovereign (single leader) for order, which matches the scenario.

Answer:

D. Hobbes's theory of the social contract