CONTRIBUTIONS TO  A CONSTRUCTIONIST INTERPRETATION OF SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORIES:

A SEMIOTICAL APPROACH

Antonio Sandu[1]

Abstract

Constructivism and social constructionism both refer to how individuals operate with constructs, understood as operational definitions on reality clippings. Social constructionism places the formation of constructs at the level of interactions in the social environment, individuals assigning and redesigning them towards social environment. It is mainly a sociological approach but we consider suitable for social philosophy itself. We understand the social contract as an interpretative (semiotic) pact resulting from a process generating meanings. Social constructs arising from the interpretative process are: social order, law, or, in general, normativity and power status. The process of alienation of the power from its transcendent roots, and its reinstatement on the grounds of public interest is the context of the social construction of the idea of state and justice.

Keywords: Social contract, contractualism, social construction of reality, social constructionism.

pp 37-53    <<download>>

[1] Antonio Sandu, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at „Mihail Kogălniceanu” University, Iaşi, Romania; contact: Această adresă de e-mail este protejată de spamboţi; aveţi nevoie de activarea JavaScript-ului pentru a o vizualiza