Summary of The Hidden Rules of Modern Society | Philosophy Tube

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

In this video, Carole Paintman discusses the idea of the social contract and how it has been used to justify the exploitation of women and people of color. She argues that the social contract is a lie and that there is no such thing as a free and equal agreement between people. She also talks about her upcoming play, "The Prince," and how it will be a groundbreaking opportunity for the acting industry.

• 00:00:00 In this video, philosopher Trixie Mephistopheles discusses the idea of the social contract, which is the idea that a society has a set of rules and laws in place before it exists. According to the social contract theory, prior to society, humans lived in a state of nature where there were no rules or laws. The state of nature was described by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes as a "heLLish life," and by Frenchman Jean-Jacques Rousseau as something that could have been tolerable. John Locke argued that since humans are naturally compassionate, the state of nature could have been a good place to live. However, over the course of the centuries, philosophers have debated the legitimacy of the social contract theory, with some arguing that it does not exist at all and others arguing that it's not perfect. Today, the social contract theory is still used to explain the origins and workings of society, but it is also being challenged by new ideas.
• 00:05:00 The social contract theory is a philosophical idea that states that humans enter into an agreement to limit their freedom in exchange for the benefits of civilization. If the agreement is not upheld, individuals have the right to leave the society.
• 00:10:00 In the 17th century, philosopher Robert Filmer argued that human beings are not born equal, and that fathers have authority over their children. This idea was controversial at the time, and it sparked a revolution. The English Civil War (1642-1651) was fought between the forces of King Charles I and Parliament. King Charles I was supported by Robert Filmer, and this decision turned out to be a bad one. After Charles I was executed, Cromwell took over and began a campaign of murder, resulting in the banning of Christmas and other religious holidays. In 1688, Prince William of Orange (the son of a Dutch king) invaded England and deposed James II, ending the Stuart monarchy. This event is why the descendants of Charles's illegitimate daughter are currently in line to the English throne.
• 00:15:00 Carol Paintman argues in her book "The Sexual Contract" that the story of the social contract--the supposed idea that free people agree to make society--is a lie. She argues that underneath this story is a second, hidden contract that gives men political control over women.
• 00:20:00 In paytman's video, he asks whether, in a modern society, marriage is still inherently patriarchal. He argues that, while marriage might not be entirely patriarchal, the institution still reflects the idea that women are secondary to men. He also argues that modern societies are based on economic exploitation of everyone, and sexual exploitation of women.
• 00:25:00 Paytman discusses the way in which meaning of men and women has helped structure major social institutions, and how this flexible general approach has advantages. She also warns against transphobia in her book's new forward.
• 00:30:00 The philosopher Charles Mills wrote a book called "The Racial Contract" in 1997, which argued that women were left out of the social contract because they were seen as naturally fit for exploitation and that the classic theorists did the same thing with people of color. John Locke is a great example, as he claimed falsely that indigenous americans had no society and no politics before colonization, which allowed him to take their land. America is a blank canvas a new world, so by all means just move in the people living there or they're kind of like animals you shouldn't be cruel to them, but fundamentally they and their resources exist for white people in the same way that women exist for men. In 2013, Detroit went bankrupt due to the decline of the automotive industry and white people fleeing for the suburbs. The emergency financial manager appointed to take care of the city's finances decided to shut off people's water, which made it easier to sell the city's public water utility to private investors. Many of the homes that got foreclosed on were bought by private investors, who started demanding that their rightful owners pay rent.
• 00:35:00 In this video, social contract theorist Charles Mills discusses how black Detroiters have no real legal recourse against their city due to institutional racism and the impossibility of a social contract under the current social legal order. However, there are still some people in Detroit who are fighting for justice despite the odds. Finally, the video features an announcement about a play that Mills is writing and directing. If you're curious about it and would like to see it live, tickets are now available on Patreon.
• 00:40:00 In this video, creator of "Philosophy Tube" Carole Paintman discusses the platform's unique features and how they've helped her produce some of the most interesting and experimental content on YouTube. She also talks about the upcoming show, "The Prince," which she describes as "a hell of a show" and a potentially groundbreaking opportunity for the acting industry. Finally, she reminds viewers that they can get a year of both Philosophy Tube and Curiosity Stream for just $15.