The Second Social Contract by María Vieira Cortada

This lecture was originally presented on November 24th, 2022, by María Vieira Cortada a dual Bachelor in International Studies and Political Science at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
In this lecture, we will cover how the lack of human rights guarantees in
the international framework stems from various factors. In particular, the
analysis will focus on the Nation-State and the proposal of a
conceptualization of the international system framed within critical
cosmopolitanism. This conceptualization is referred to as a Second
social contract, referring to the individual’s attachment to a sovereign
entity that guarantees his or her rights and security. First, the image of the
State as a political and moral entity will be reviewed through
contractualist and Kantian theories. Secondly, several of the
interstices of the Nation-State with respect to the regulation of violence
and the safeguarding of human rights will be exposed. Finally, a Second
social contract is proposed, which aspires to find an appropriate method
of international coercion to safeguard rights across borders.
Presenter: María Vieira Cortada
Member of the Political Theory Student Research Committee
BA Candidate in International Studies and Political Science, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
The International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) is a democratic student government representing political science students around the world.