Political obligation in the context of "A Theory of Justice"

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⭐ Core Definition: Political obligation

Political obligation refers to a moral requirement to obey national laws. It is distinct from other reasons and incentives to obey laws, such as avoiding punishment and the imposition of costs by the government. Political obligation is distinct from legal obligation.

British philosopher Isaiah Berlin described the question central to political obligation, "Why should anyone obey anyone else?", as "perhaps the most fundamental of all political questions." John Rawls's 1971 work A Theory of Justice has been credited with putting political obligation at the forefront of academic focus in contemporary political philosophy.

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Political obligation in the context of Political authority

In political philosophy and ethics, political authority describes any of the moral principles legitimizing differences between individuals' rights and duties by virtue of their relationship with the state. Political authority grants members of a government the right to rule over citizens using coercion if necessary (i.e., political legitimacy), while imposing an obligation for the citizens to obey government orders (i.e., political obligation).

A central question in political philosophy is "To what extent is political authority legitimate?" Views range from political authority and having no legitimacy (philosophical anarchism) to political authority being virtually unlimited in scope (totalitarianism).

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Isaiah Berlin → John Rawls → A Theory of Justice → Political philosophy →