I like this post. I also think you are right, I do think that some olbigations (social contract) are societal and that while we have unalienable rights, government still retains authority to enforce the social contract.
For example: Inalienable right to private property
but... social contract states no property is absolutely private. Thus imminent domain, zoning codes and taxation are valid concepts.
Please note that the social concept of "no property is absolutely private" can be applied very broadly (maoism) to very nominally. I prefer the very nominal level. Even still, the main point is that all societies have determined that society, as a whole retains some sense degree of ownership over every piece of property in that society. How often society excercizes this contract, can vary from almost always, to almost never.
I dont think so.
Various forms of conscription were used in both during the revolutionary war and post war. Though conscription was haphazard, the Founding fathers evidiently believed that conscription as a concept was valid and a legitimate use of state authority.
Conscription in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thus, the Founding Fathers appeared to retain the unwritten social contract that individuals could be forced to participate in the common defense.
