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Political obligation is the obligation to obey the law because it is the law. Authority rather than argument is the reason of obedience. However, having a political obligation does not necessarily mean that one has to obey the law always, even when it .
The difference between "being obliged" to obey the law and "being under an obligation" to obey the law.
While the first one means that due to a threat upon you to act however the diktat wants you to or else you will be punished for disobedience. Like a bully who threatens the weak student to act as per his wishes.
Being Under an Obligation, on the other hand, implies that there is a universal moral order of right and wrong that everyone agrees with and everyone should commit to it. This
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In Syria People were forced to risk their lives and leave everything dear to them behind and take a small boat. The harsh conditions they lived in made any suffering they might go through more bearable than the hell they ran away from. No one should be forced to leave their home land for any reason. No one should be forced to watch their kids get swallowed by the waves of the sea. Harry Beran ( 1987), accepts the claim that only express consent can generate a political obligation, That is, states should require their members openly to undertake an obligation to obey the law or to refuse to do so. Those who decline the obligation will then have the options of leaving the state, seceding to form a new state with like-minded people, or taking residence in a territory within the state reserved for dissenters. When I watch the news about Syria I can not help but wonder: “Who gave the Syrian -so called- president the right to murder thousands of people and force them to leave their homes into the unknown just because the are not willing to “Obey” him and accept his policy? Because of that question Syrian people got divided into two teams. One that thinks that the “decent, safe life” that the president has provided has made every person in Syria in a dept to him. Therefor, obeying the rules is the simplest thing they can do to return the favour. Which is really similar to Socrates reasoning with gratitude being one of the considerations he relies on in justifying why he will not disobey the jury that sentenced him to death. I find that ridiculous because if we were to presume that the there are things we have to consider first. For example, the free schools the government provided for the people was more of a forced favour, because even those who do not want to go to school are obliged to go to school and study because of the
Duty may be performed without strain or reflection of desire, which means your duty, or responsibility, should be performed without hesitation. “Dutifulness could be an account of a morality with no hint of religion” (Murdoch 364). Religion’s demand for morality and being good trumps a person’s decision to
In the case of Syria, his definition urges the bystander to take initiative. As elucidated in the text, King’s definition of morality causes Americans to experience vicariously the lives of marginalized groups. Too often, America possesses the tools to confront injustice, but instead, they stand by futilely. This problem is evident today and even more highlighted by the United States’ eleventh hour involvement in World War II. King summarizes this point, stating, “Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection” (citation). Moreover, in the case of the Syrian Civil War, if an individual American cannot bear the complete moral burden, he or she should advocate that the United States government should take action. The moral definition refers to King’s implicit proposal that the American government should bear the moral onus of the world since “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (citation). The idea that immorality is an infection serves as a prominent theme throughout King’s text, and he proposes that its eradication will only transpire when everyone dons the responsibility of purging immorality and
We as a society have acted upon our obligations in the past, such as during World War 2, yet the occasional dose of action is not what we are supposed to desire as humans. We can not say “I will help these people who are being abused today, yet these people yesterday are on their own.”. Moral obligation is not something so fickle as we wish to make it seem. Although the proposal I have left you with is tough to chew on, it is the right principle to act upon if we are to improve human life and live morally good lives.
I understand a theory of political legitimacy to give an account of the justice of political arrangements. (3) I understand a theory of political obligation to give an account of why and under what conditions, citizens are morally required to obey the rules constituting those arrangements. The social contract tradition offers us hypothetical consent theories of both political obligation and political legitimacy, frequently neglecting to distinguish the two ideas. Likewise, the common objection to hypothetical consent theories — that hypothetical contracts do not bind — ...
BACKGROUND: In March of 2011, the unrest in Syria was just beginning, with protests g...
I will also articulate my positions regarding proposals from John Arthur, Peter Singer, and Immanuel Kant. John Arthur, an American philosopher, states that “this idea can be expressed rather awkwardly by the notion of entitlements, by which I have in mind the thought that having either a right or justly deserving something can also be important as we think about our obligations to others.” The other side of the coin would be the views of Peter Singer, an Australian moral philosopher, states that “...if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it.” Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, believes that “The practical necessity of acting on this principle -- that is, duty -- is not based on at all on feelings, impulses, and inclinations, but only on the relation of rational beings to one another, a relation in which the will of a rational being must be regarded as lawgiving, because otherwise it could not be thought of as an end in
Obedience is thought to be a high moral standard which we are to follow. On the other hand, disobedience is considered a moral flaw, wrongness, or something you just should not do. When your mother says that you can’t eat cookies for dinner, how likely are you to listen? This is an act of disobedience.
The author defined "owe" as a form of obligation that is to be fulfilled unwillingly. In support of her argument she presented the case of friendship. When two people are friends they help each other, but they are not obliged to make their share of sacrifices. She stated that the term "owe" undermines the role of mutuality. "Owe" represents obligations that must be fulfilled irrespective of the person's emotions. Thus, the term "owe" should not be used to refer to a child's duties towards his/her parents.
Lawson, Fred H. "Syria." Politics & society in the contemporary Middle East. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2010. 411 - 434. Print.
Is it more important for you to follow the letter of the law or to follow the spirit of the law? In my opinion, following the letter of the law would be the most important due to the fact it means rule of law, which indicate that no person, government entity or official is above the law. In other words, you cannot make up laws based on your interpretation of the law and what you feel is right or wrong. For example, if you were riding public transportation such as a bus and a police officer entered the bus and told you to get off the bus for no apparent reason, this would be unlawful. This where the rule of law plays a vital rule and protecting your rights as a citizen in the United States.
Under this condition, moral and political obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among the people to form the society in which they live.
It should be understood that the people’s consent runs to the very core of a government being able to rule over them. Essentially, this is to show that no form government can be in power if the particular people haven’t agreed to it. The common exception however, is in the case of tyranny and dictatorial rule, where citizens are subdued to obey as commanded, which in most cases lead to revolutions. Evidently, democracy is the best way through which a people can be governed, owing to the fact that it gives them a chance and a voice in the larger government and undertakings of the country as a whole (Ndou, 2004, p 18). Historical data can attest to this fact, as there have been numerous rebellions against dictatorial heads, all in such for democracy.
Being a citizen, it is our privilege and our duty to vote. I believe it is worth it to vote since it is going to be our life for the next four years or until the next president takes place. As citizens of America, voting especially for the president is important since they will be the one deciding whether or not they will lead our country to success or to failure. All votes counts and I believe that if everyone votes, then we will not have thing such as a rallies or impeachment. With votes, there will be unity in people’s voices.
With the disturbance on the issue of ‘Political Dynasty,’ there are wide ranges of philosophies and theories that can be intertwined with the said study. This study on political dynasty is said to be in connection with the standpoint of Social Contract of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke based on man’s fundamental struggle for survival. “All people are born free.” The state of nature is the state of perfect freedom and equality. The world was never without political or social structure. Political and social structure arises naturally with humankind. On the view of Hobbes and Locke, the moral justification for the action of the state is utilitarian, the moral theory that states, “The greatest happiness of the greatest number” as formulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. In addition, the Social Contract of Jean Jacques Rousseau which was greatly inspired by the French Revolution states that individual should give up his personal and should accept the ‘general will’ in order to discover one’s higher aspiration and moral freedom (Bautista, 2013). “Man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains.” He believes that society is base upon some implicit contract, and that contract implies that the ruler is people’s agent, not their master. This implies that the general welfare of the people is dependent on the State, on how he will carry his people. Also, he said that this contract offers guarantees.
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