01 · Knowledge Atlas
Switch to graph viewAn encyclopedia of social systems
Theories, political philosophies, economic models, institution types and forms of self-government — each idea traced through theory, real examples, critique and results.
All entries · A–Z
- Social contract theoryTheoryA family of theories that ground political authority in an agreement, actual or hypothetical, among those governed. Classic versions come from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and, in the twentieth century, Rawls.
- Spontaneous orderTheoryHayek's idea that large-scale social coordination can emerge from many individuals following general rules, without any person or authority designing the whole.