Social contract theory and Moby Dick.

The political reading of Moby Dick is critical of social contract theory.

Ishmael signs a social contract. It’s a lousy social contract, and he knows it, but at least he gets a choice. The society he’s about to join will keep him alive (probably) but also he’s going to be poor. He accepts the deal.

He enters into a society, the Pequod.

As his very first act, the sovereign Ahab changes the terms of the contract. Now it’s no longer about making a little money and seeing the world, which is what Ishmael had signed up for. Now it’s about vengeance on the enemy of the sovereign, because the white whale bit off his leg. Like most ordinary citizens, Ishmael has no special grievance against the enemy of the sovereign.

The contract soon devolves into just doing what Ahab says. It doesn’t matter that Ahab is crazy, and that his bad decisions come from his desire for vengeance.

And the stowaways reveal themselves as an upper social class. They are more favoured than the rest because they are more personally loyal and unencumbered by the social contract. Social contracts are for chumps.