Importance Of Political Obligation

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Political Philosophy and Political Obligation The author states his thesis as “the central, or most fundamental, question of political philosophy is the question of political obligation”. The question of political obligation has always been the center of discussion. Why would anyone consent to be governed by the state? This question has been supported with the centrality thesis. This question can not be ignored since it has to do with the everyday lives of human beings. However, modern political philosophers have not dealt with supporting arguments towards the thesis. They have also failed to provided a sound critique against it. With the help of other modern philosophers, the author gives himself great authority to aid the reader with his own arguments for the thesis. The author divides his arguments in favor of the thesis into five parts. Part one concerns …show more content…

The author comes up with the conclusion that he has underestimated the importance of the question of political obligation. He states that the centrality thesis is a claim that only arises for “liberal or individualistic political philosophers”. He says that liberals need the question of political obligation in appose to non-liberals. If you look at the concept of political obligation collectively it will become irrelevant. If, however, the concept is looked at in an individualistic way, tables turn. Individualist cherish the value of a human life. To them every individual has a right to life and liberty in equality. Proposals that promote the well-being of all, whether it’s the underprivileged or the average working class, justice is prioritized. People of this political viewpoint need to be convinced of the benefits of government. To get them to sacrifice some basic rights in turn for overall control by a selected few is often a troublesome task. The more controlling and powerful a government is, the less it appeals to

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