Full Idea
For Hegel, society cannot be founded on a contract, since contracts have no reality until society is in place.
Gist of Idea
Society isn’t founded on a contract, since contracts presuppose a society
Source
report of Georg W.F.Hegel (works [1812]) by Roger Scruton - Modern Philosophy:introduction and survey 28.2
Book Reference
Scruton,Roger: 'Modern Philosophy: introduction and survey' [Sinclair-Stevenson 1994], p.417
A Reaction
Interesting, and reminiscent of the private language argument, but contracts surely start as deals between individuals (on a desert island?).