Abstract
The recent turmoil that has erupted concerning police brutality and the behavior and pleas of protesters has reopened a dialogue about social contracts and what exactly it is we owe one another in this society. This paper is an exploration of social contract theory regarding the contents and execution of the social contracts that exist between American law enforcement and the communities they police; more specifically the contract they have with American citizens of color. The paper also discusses the response of groups who reject what they believe is an uneven contract with research drawing heavily from philosopher Charles Mills’ theory of an overarching racial contract as well as Peter Singer’s Democracy and Disobedience, concerning the validity of dissent in a western democracy.
Research Paper