system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What are the best arguments against contractualism/social contract theory?
gpt
The most common criticism of social contract theory is that the character of the contract is merely ideal and hypothetical. There is no obviously no point in which a certain group actually gathers and mutually agrees on a contract that binds every and each participant. Theorists of the social contract have seeken refuge to either a formulation of Locke's argument for tacit consent, which is an implicit approval of the contract through actions that recognize it as necessary, or a presentation of it as a kind of a thought experiment akin to Rawls's famous original position.

Another criticism is that there is a complete disregard for beings that could be considered as non-rational, such as animals, people suffering through mental illness, and children. How can it be said that they would have rationally agreed on the social contract if they lack any capacity to do so?

There is also an issue with the fact that principle in which the social contract theory is based is highly abstract and cannot bind us morally, or guide our practical reasoning.