Consent out of advantage

We begin with the question of what it actually is that is in need of legitimation and, to do so, examine the structure of polities. As long as human beings create communities for the mere purpose of cooperation and as long as this happens in a spontaneous and voluntary manner, one might ask oneself why humans choose to live together at all. A good many reasons can be given. The issue of social rights aside (see ch. 3.4), fundamental political philosophy leaves it to the realm of social theory to determine precisely those reasons. A wholly voluntary community of cooperation does not require a justification but only an explanation.