PO210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: H. L. A. Hart
Document Summary
A longstanding question concerning the theory of the law is why we as citizens should obey it. Some have argued that obedience is based on nothing more than self-interest. Not only do we often abide by the law out of habit, perhaps more often we abide by the law because we think it"s the right thing to do. "to have a political obligation is to have a moral duty to obey the laws of one"s country or state. " Theories of political obligation purport to explain why its not just in one"s best interest to obey the law, but to explain they have a duty to do so. Derived from the broader category of social contract theory. Problem: it is difficult to argue that ordinary citizens have even tacitly consented to obey the law. The state is something that citizens merely find themselves a part of at birth. What is more, few (if any) alternatives to it exist.
