Lying is a fundamental part of the human condition. Whilst we may not admit it, we all are accountable for certain lies, some for the better and some for the worst. I argue that through the lens of Social Contract Theory, lying is not morally permissible, and argue that certain examples of lying have catalysed devastating events, breaking down order and government, as well as destroying life of an enjoyable experience.
Social contract theory is a theoretical framework developed by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau that is used to understand the basis upon which individuals come together to form governments and societies. The core belief behind the Social Contract is that, as theorised by Thomas Hobbes, humans live in a “state of nature” and are ornately selfish. (Rachels & Rachels, 2022) David Gauthier suggests we need to “bargain our way into morality.” Thus, as a collective, we give up certain rights that allow for peace to be maintained and allow for a political authority to govern actions that protect the greater good. (Gauthier, 1987)
Under this perception, lying acts to destroy the Social Contract. To spread lies and misinformation is to advocate for chaos over peace.
However, as we have made our lives more streamlined through digital technologies, the concept of the Social Contract has been given new forms of action. The most notable of these is social media.
Under this perception, lying acts to destroy the Social Contract. To spread lies and misinformation is to advocate for chaos over peace.
However, as we have made our lives more streamlined through digital technologies, the concept of the Social Contract has been given new forms of action. The most notable of these is social media.
Social media has allowed people across the world to connect and share information. Whilst this is its largest benefit, it’s the catalyst for many instances of the Social Contract breaking down.
Take one of the largest lies that have been told recently; Donald Trump’s perception of the 2020 general election. The defamation and theories that he projected to his followers effectively managed to break down the Social Contract, leading to the infamous January 6th Capitol Riots.
Donald Trump was well known to be a user of Twitter, accumulating over 87 million followers before he was banned. (Donald Trump Followers on Social Platforms 2023 | Statista, 2023) He used the platform to express his opinions and encourage his voters. However, soon after his loss in the 2020 election, his platform became a place of misinformation and one where he spread unethical lies that broke down the social contract and revealed society’s state of nature.
Donald Trump was well known to be a user of Twitter, accumulating over 87 million followers before he was banned. (Donald Trump Followers on Social Platforms 2023 | Statista, 2023) He used the platform to express his opinions and encourage his voters. However, soon after his loss in the 2020 election, his platform became a place of misinformation and one where he spread unethical lies that broke down the social contract and revealed society’s state of nature.
Tweets from his account ranged from him stating that it was "Statistically impossible [for him] to have lost the 2020 election," and that, as a response to his loss, there would be a “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th.” And to “Be there, will be wild!” (Dreisbach, 2022). With the rampant QAnon conspiracy growing, Trump’s spread of lies online led to over 2000 people forcing their way into the capitol building. (7 Hours, 700 Arrests, 1 Year Later: The Jan. 6 Capitol Attack, by the Numbers, 2022) It was during these moments that Trump had successfully broken down the Social Contract and caused carnage as a result.
A similar event happened last year in Wellington when government vaccine mandates caused an uproar from communities that did not agree with their actions. The entire event was broadcast live on Facebook and driven by lies incited by far-right anti-vax groups. (Wolf & Theunissen, 2023) Protesters were incited to threaten lynching politicians, throw faeces at police, as well as project antisemitic content for the whole world to see. (Wilpetj, 2022)
Whilst both examples sparked a position of hate, they fall into the grey area of Social Contract Theory. As theorist John Locke states, a government can only be legitimate when its citizens have consented to it. (Rachels & Rachels, 2022) Thus, as these citizens have not consented to these conditions, they have the full right to break the social contract, as they are not receiving what they want out of it. Additionally, the formation of protests is not adherently illegal, in fact, it is a basic human right. (United Nations, n.d.)
Breaking the social contract has been successful on countless occasions. Martin Luther King Jr broke the social contract when he protested for the rights of people of colour. Marsha P Johnson broke the social contract when she threw the first brick at Stonewall.
Both of these empowering figures saw a government that did not accompany them and fought for a society they felt comfortable.
Breaking the social contract has been successful on countless occasions. Martin Luther King Jr broke the social contract when he protested for the rights of people of colour. Marsha P Johnson broke the social contract when she threw the first brick at Stonewall.
Both of these empowering figures saw a government that did not accompany them and fought for a society they felt comfortable.
So, what sets these examples apart from the Insurrection and vaccine riots?
Misinformation. Both the January 6th insurrection and vaccine riots were primarily driven through the platforms Facebook and Twitter. A study done in 2021 found that over 55% of American citizens regularly got news from Facebook and Twitter, (Atske, 2021) and yet, questioned citizens stated that they believe news on social media as they did not believe they were susceptible to lies. (Geeng et al., 2020) If we assume that the rest of the world has similar trends, then one conclusion becomes clear; if nobody believes they are susceptible to misinformation, then everybody is susceptible.
Misinformation. Both the January 6th insurrection and vaccine riots were primarily driven through the platforms Facebook and Twitter. A study done in 2021 found that over 55% of American citizens regularly got news from Facebook and Twitter, (Atske, 2021) and yet, questioned citizens stated that they believe news on social media as they did not believe they were susceptible to lies. (Geeng et al., 2020) If we assume that the rest of the world has similar trends, then one conclusion becomes clear; if nobody believes they are susceptible to misinformation, then everybody is susceptible.
So why can we not just accept their protests and change the Social Contract?
Because that would severely disrupt the harmony and peace that the Social Contract thrives on. If everybody got their own way with the government, there would be no government. According to Rousseau, people agree to government protection by surrendering individual freedom. (Rachels & Rachels, 2022) In fact, going back to the roots of Social Contract Theory, the Greek philosopher Socrates states that “The unexamined life is not worth living” (West & West, 1985). If everybody was to gain complete control over the social contract, there would be nobody to examine and critique others’ lives and viewpoints, thus the Social Contract would be destroyed.
Because that would severely disrupt the harmony and peace that the Social Contract thrives on. If everybody got their own way with the government, there would be no government. According to Rousseau, people agree to government protection by surrendering individual freedom. (Rachels & Rachels, 2022) In fact, going back to the roots of Social Contract Theory, the Greek philosopher Socrates states that “The unexamined life is not worth living” (West & West, 1985). If everybody was to gain complete control over the social contract, there would be nobody to examine and critique others’ lives and viewpoints, thus the Social Contract would be destroyed.
So where exactly is this sweet spot of control over the Social Contract?
The simple answer is that there is no definitive way to decide what classifies as a correct approach; however, we have seen through extreme examples on social media that misinformation and lies have led to more chaos than before the boom of the internet.
The simple answer is that there is no definitive way to decide what classifies as a correct approach; however, we have seen through extreme examples on social media that misinformation and lies have led to more chaos than before the boom of the internet.
We cannot operate under a Social Contract without blatant awareness of social media and lying. By forms of action and protest being created upon conspiracy theories and misinformation, we destroy the social contract in ways that we may not be able to rebuild.
We can clearly understand through the lens of Social Contract Theory that lying is not morally permissible, as even the smallest of lies have been shown to cause havoc through online mediums.
We can clearly understand through the lens of Social Contract Theory that lying is not morally permissible, as even the smallest of lies have been shown to cause havoc through online mediums.
7 hours, 700 arrests, 1 year later: The Jan. 6 Capitol attack, by the numbers. (2022, January 6). ABC7 Los Angeles. https://abc7.com/jan-6-insurrection-us-capitol-riot/11428976/
Atske, S. (2021, September 20). News consumption across social media in 2021 | Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/09/20/news-consumption-across-social-media-in-2021/
Donald Trump followers on social platforms 2023 | Statista. (2023, January 30). Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1336497/donald-trump-number-of-followers-selected-social-platforms/
Dreisbach, T. (2022, July 13). How Trump’s “will be wild!” tweet drew rioters to the Capitol on Jan. 6. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/07/13/1111341161/how-trumps-will-be-wild-tweet-drew-rioters-to-the-capitol-on-jan-6
Gauthier, D. (1987). Morals by agreement. Clarendon Press.
Geeng, C., Yee, S., & Roesner, F. (2020). Fake News on Facebook and Twitter: Investigating How People (Don’t) Investigate. Fake News on Facebook and Twitter: Investigating How People (Don’t) Investigate. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376784
Rachels, J. R., & Rachels, S. (2022). ISE The Elements of Moral Philosophy.
Social Contract Theory | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (n.d.). https://iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/
United Nations. (n.d.). Universal Declaration of Human Rights | United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
West, T. G., & West, G. S. (1985). Four texts on Socrates: Plato’s Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito and Aristophanes’ Clouds. American Political Science Review, 79(4), 1280. https://doi.org/10.2307/1956422
Wilpetj. (2022, February 18). The Week in Politics: The protesters and the politicians. RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/461815/the-week-in-politics-the-protesters-and-the-politicians
Wolf, K., & Theunissen, P. (2023). One voice or multi-issue movement? Exploring the role of bonding and bridging social capital within the COVID-19 antivax movement. Public Relations Review, 49(2), 102316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2023.102316