The Racial Contract
| Author | Charles W. Mills |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Political philosophy |
| Publisher | Cornell University Press |
|
Publication date
|
1997 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 171 |
| ISBN |
The Racial Contract is a book by professor Charles W. Mills in which Mills puts forth his political philosophy regarding the role of race in the formation of the social contract. Mills argues that racism is at the core of the “social contract”, rather than racism being an unintended result attributed to the failings of imperfect men. Specifically, the Racial Contract is a tacit and at times explicit agreement among members of the tribes of Europe to assert, promote, and maintain the ideal of white supremacy as against all other tribes of the world. This intention is deliberate and an integral characteristic of the social contract, a characteristic which persists to the present day. In Mills’ words, “…what has usually been taken...as the racist ‘exception’ has really been the rule; what has been taken as the ‘rule’…[racial equality]…has really been the exception.”
The Social Contract is a theoretical construct of political philosophy which explains the origins and legitimacy of government in general and the origins and legitimacy of nations as political entities in particular. It is both a hypothetical and actual agreement among individuals to create a cooperative, civil society and thus form a larger, interdependent political unit. The term “social contract” is derived from various political philosophers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacque Rousseau. A famous phrase attributed to Thomas Hobbes states that prior to the creation of government by means of the social contract, humans were in a “state of war”, where every man lived for himself. In such an environment, life was characterized as “nasty, brutish, and short.”
However, people realized that they could accomplish more and achieve greater individual security if they delegated some of their rights and powers to a government entity. The idea of a Social Contract entails giving up certain individual liberties and powers and delegating those powers to a government for the purpose of creating greater collective benefit. In exchange for receiving these powers from “the people”, the government is obligated to protect the interests and liberties of “the people” in an even-handed manner. When the government fails to protect those interests, “the people” have a right to change the government, rebel against an unjust government, and or take back the powers which they delegated to the government.
The character of this new social and political arrangement entails notions of “liberty” (to pursue one’s own happiness), “freedom” (from fear and attack), and “justice” (the equal administration and application of the laws to all citizens of the polis). From these ideals, originating from such political philosophers, the ideals of the American Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were derived, embodying the promises of liberty, freedom, and justice which are also characteristics of the theoretical Social Contract.
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