Political Obligation: Political obligation is a duty of citizens to obey the laws of the state for their own benefit and common welfare. It is also a moral requirement from the citizens to the obey the law of their nation.
These are the five grounds for political obligation by D D Raphael:
State rests on social contract.
The State rests on consent.
The State represents the general will.
The state secures justice.
The state pursues the general interest or common good.
The Theory of Social Contract: It tries to justify political obligation being based on implicit promise, like the obligation to obey the rules of a voluntary association. There are three kinds that imply promise: contract of citizenship, contract of community and contract of government. Citizenship has been compared to getting membership of a voluntary association. It is formed on the basis that state provides benefits to citizens and citizens therefore have to fulfill their obligations. Contract of community means man egoistic by nature tends to cause harm. In order to prevent this, he makes an agreement with community. This was done for the mutual benefit of all. Contract of government means men contract with the state and society. In the first contract, he agrees to form a society and in the following contract he agrees to obey laws.
The Theory of Consent: This means the authority of the state is based on the consent. That notion is a basis of political obligation is a principle of John Locke. The state is bound to ensure welfare, protection and fulfillment of promises of people. In return, people are to fulfill the obligations of the state. According to this theory, consent has to be understood and accepted. It is based on a mutual promise. This means that a form of consent is essential for the authority of a particular law.
The Theory of General Will: It is based on the belief that a collectively held will aims at the common good or common interest and collective welfare. It was criticized for being vague and obscure. This theory states that the state represents the collective will of all the citizens. Hence, citizens are expected to oblige. Collective interest of the society is given priority over individual interest. It is based on an assumption that general will is always right. Rousseau was of the opinion that the solution was direct democratic self legislation in which each citizen, as a member of the sovereign, makes laws that apply equally to all. His general will was confined to the limits of the state. It aims to show that state is a voluntary association.
The Theory of Justice: It is based on the belief that it is the duty of the state to ensure people’s obligation to the state. In principle, therefore, the theory of justice and general interest take the same sort of form. People are given both certain natural rights and duties. The state undertakes the function of granting and protecting our natural rights and hence we are obliged to fulfill our duties. This is a ground of political obligation. It is based on morality and justice. It depends on our moral obligation to pursue justice
The Theory of General Interest or Common Good: It is of the view that it depends on our utility for promoting the general happiness or interest. The state is a necessary means to a moral end. The state forms rules that the citizens are bound to follow. This requires people to lead a crime free life by following the laws. The government, it it causes harm instead of promoting welfare, loses its right to obedience. Here, it is similar to the theory of justice. This helps the state to focus on the greater good rather than concentrating on individual interest. This theory of General Interest is held by Utilitarians.
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