How many questions are in this quiz?

This quiz has 198 questions comparing key social contract theories and their core arguments.

Does the quiz have a timer?

No. There’s no timer, so you can take your time with close-reading and careful comparisons.

What answer format does each question use?

Every question is multiple-choice with 4 options, designed to test both recognition and reasoning.

Can I choose the number of questions and the difficulty?

Yes. Pick your preferred question count and difficulty on the start panel before you begin.

Which thinkers are mainly covered?

You’ll mostly see Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, plus related Enlightenment themes like rights, sovereignty, and legitimacy.

Social contract theories quiz

About this quiz

What you’ll explore

This quiz helps you compare major social contract theories side by side—especially Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau—while keeping track of their assumptions about human nature, authority, and legitimacy.

Each question uses 4 options and there’s no timer, so you can read carefully and focus on reasoning rather than speed.

Skills you’ll practice

You’ll practice matching arguments to authors, distinguishing natural rights from civil rights, and tracing how consent and obligation are justified in different frameworks.

You can choose your question count and difficulty before starting; “Mixed” blends easier ID-style prompts with tougher comparison and nuance questions for balanced challenge.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Treating “consent” as the same concept in Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
Mixing up Locke’s right of resistance with Hobbes’s emphasis on security and sovereignty
Assuming Rousseau’s “general will” means simple majority opinion
Confusing state of nature claims with historical claims (they’re often thought experiments)
Overlooking how property, inequality, and education shape each theory’s political conclusions

How the difficulty stays fair

Expect a gradual spread from foundational definitions (state of nature, contract, sovereignty) to higher-level contrasts (legitimacy, freedom, and the limits of government). The mixed setting aims to alternate recall with interpretation so one tricky item doesn’t dominate your run.