Abstract
In this paper, the theory of fear overrides the theory of obligation in Hobbes' theory of monarchical government, as the sovereign does not an obligation to adhere to social contracts of the people, but rather, to God. Hobbes is a political philosopher that derides republican government in order to impart his support of monarchical government through fear-outside of a moral obligation to adhere to a religious dictate or the will of the people.

From the Paper
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Tags:hobbes, theory, obligation

Abstract
The following assingment is for a third year philosophy course. The topic of the assignment was the obligation to obey the law. This particular essay looked at the question of whether we have an real reason to feel obliged to obey the law. We are in effect not obliged to obey the law because that beleif is a false beleif. Ideology is used to maintain this false beleif.

From the Paper
Obligation to Obey the Law Many people argue that we have an obligation to obey the law. For a long time this assumption was taken for granted. However, some members of society including anarchists, Marxists, and many theologians have cast serious doubts on our obligation to obey the law. In recent years a number political scientists in the liberal tradition have begun to question the obligation to obey the law(Green 301). This essay will examine the reading "Who Believes in Political Obligation" by Leslie Green. The statement we will be examining is, all this talk about obligation to obey the law is simply an ideological instrument to

Tags:obligation, obey, law

Abstract
This paper describes Thomas Hobbes' views on moral obligation, justice, and rights, based on his general theory of human nature. It looks at Hobbes' contention that men are equal in nature and how this equality often diminishes in society.

From the Paper
"Thomas Hobbes held offered a comprehensive account of man's obligations which drew upon his theory of human nature. This essay will answer a series of questions focused on Hobbes' approach to moral obligation rights in the state of .."

Tags:Thomas Hobbes moral obligation state of nature, justice

Abstract
Richard Wasserstrom, in "The Obligation to Obey the Law," explores the question of whether there exists an absolute obligation to obey the law. This question has long been central to our understanding of social order, as Wasserstrom notes in referencing Plato's Crito on this point at the opening of his work. Wasserstrom's view is that there exists no "absolute" obligation to obey the law. This being said, it will be argued that while Wasserstrom's understanding of the meaning of "law" indicates that exceptions to the obligation to obey will be very few, nonetheless their existence invalidates the argument that there exists an absolute obligation to obey. As will be seen, with reference to Rawls' model of the social contract, a stronger counter-argument can be made justifying the need to obey even unjust laws in places where Wasserstrom's perspective would locate an exception.

From the Paper
The Moral Obligation to Obey the Law Richard Wasserstrom, in "The Obligation to Obey the Law," explores the question of whether there exists an absolute obligation to obey the law. This question has long been central to our understanding of social order, as Wasserstrom notes in referencing Plato's Crito on this point at the opening of his work. Wasserstrom's view is that there exists no "absolute" obligation to obey the law. This being said, it will be argued that while Wasserstrom's understanding of the meaning of "law" indicates that exceptions to the obligation to obey will be very few, nonetheless their existence invalidates the argument that there exists an

Tags:law, moral, plato

Abstract
This paper explores the contention that the view that all obligation rests upon consent actually reflects a limited understanding of the law and human society. The key author under discussion in this regard is Nancy Hirschmann, who critiques this view from a feminist perspective. The paper shows how Hirschmann opens her critique with a review of the foundations of modern liberal obligation theory in the belief of consent.

From the Paper
"This paper will explore the contention that the view that all obligation rests upon consent actually reflects a limited understanding of the law and human society. The key author under discussion in this regard is Nancy Hirschmann, who critiques this view from a feminist perspective. Hirschmann opens her critique with a review of the foundations of modern liberal obligation theory in the belief of consent. As she observes, the "paradigm for obligations on the liberal model is the promise and contract" (Hirschmann 243). The social contract is the basis for this theory of obligation, with the underlying view that humans are ultimately..."

Tags:law, philosophy, liberal

Abstract
This paper discusses R.A. Wasserman's 1963 paper "The Obligation to Obey the Law" and praises the quality of Wasserman's explanation of a very old concept in legal history. The paper makes a mention of Wellman & Simmons (2005) and then spells out Wasserman's approach, comments on its contrasts, and explains Wasserman's points on what would happen if the obligation to obey the law was not upheld as a social and personal ideal.

Tags:social, contract, law

Abstract
The following assignment is for a third year philosophy course. The topic of the assignment was political authority and the obligation to obey the law. The argument that is made is that there is no real connection betweeen political authority and an obligation to obey the law. It is argued that people follow the law because it has benefits for them.

From the Paper
Political Authority and the Obligation to Obey the Law The relationship between political authority and the law has always been a complicated one. On one hand there are those who argue that political authority and the obligation to obey the law go hand in hand. For example, in "Legitimate Authority and the Duty to Obey" Kent Greenawalt quotes Hannah Pitkin as saying, "Part of what `authority' means is that those subject to it are obligated to obey"(Greenawalt 178). While this opinion has a number of supporters there are also researchers that disagree with it. They argue that it is possible to have political authority without having an obligation to obey the law. For example, in

Tags:political, authority, law

Abstract
This paper presents arguments for and against the theory, which has more opponents than proponents in modern day philosophy. Philosophers covered include Simmons, Walker, Klosko and Wellman, with Walker being the only one who supports the theory.

Tags:political obligation, obligation of gratitude, gratitude theory

Abstract
This paper discusses the value of a legal obligation as opposed to a moral one. The paper makes references to two documents, "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King. Both Thoreau and King address the issue of moral obligation versus legal obligation, in which an individual experiences conflict with the government and society as s/he tries to follow his/her free will as a member of the society and the rules and laws imposed by the government at the same time.

From the Paper
"In his discourse, Thoreau asserts, "That government is best which governs least," which means to say that the least government intervention in the society results to a better state of civil society. This is because he thinks that the government is susceptible to manipulation by people with vested interests, who consider the government as an institution that can be used to provide greater privileges to other people and not the society in general. Thoreau contends, ?But a government in which the majority rule in all cases can not be based on justice, even as far as men understand it."

Tags:government, law, society, civil

Abstract
This paper outlines Cicero's theory on what motivates people to act virtuously. Cicero's theory, that people are obligated to act in a honorable manner because they want to cultivate their own interest, is expounded upon, and the four virtues, according to Cicero, that support this obligation are explained.

From the Paper
"Cicero in his book "On Obligations" explains how people's behaviors are governed by their keenness to act right as it is an inherent natural tendency. People according to him are obligated to act in a certain manner because they want to cultivate their own interest. In doing so they benefit themselves because once they exchange good words or deeds, they expect the other person honorable enough to do the same for them. Cicero in essence wants to emphasize that objective honorableness is in fact the ends in themselves. They benefit the individual regardless of their position in society, social status or the career they adopt as long as their actions are good and right. For this purpose, he defines obligation as "the highest aim among goods, and at another to the moral guidance which can shape our daily lives in all their aspects."[p.4]. Thus, Using the law of causality we can understand that according to Cicero obligations are essentially good and they are supported by four virtues which are derived from the principle of honorableness."

Tags:honorable, good, happiness, natural, tendency, wise, free, rich, knowledge, useful, beneficial, reason, justice, law, stoic