Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi

Name of the Faculty : Law

Name of the Department
Topic of e-content
Sub-Topic of e-content
Key-Words of e-content
(with the help of key words students
can search the e-content easily)
: Law
: Foundation of Political obligation
: Political obligation
: Obligation ,convention, sovereign

Subject : Political Science

Class :BA.LL.B First Semester
Paper (Sr. No.) (Name) : fundamentals of Political Science and Indian
Constitution
Creator Name : Dr. Vijay Pratap Gaurav
Mob. No. : 9350981567
Email ID : jnu.gaurav@gmail.com
Date of Creation :15.10.2020
 Political obligation

BY
Dr. Vijay Pratap Gaurav (Assistant Professor)
Faculty of Law
Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith
Varanasi
 Meaning
• There are two words in political obligation
(Political +Obligation).
• Politics can be explained as policy and
administration of the government. Politics is
the entire political system of the country.
• Within the political system the limitation of the
power can be established.
 Obligation
• The word obligation came from the Latin word
„obligate‟ which means „performance of
duties‟.
• Every one has to follow rules of behaviour in
society for his own good and good for others.
• In order for the state mechanism to function
smoothly a well organised system of the duties
is needed.
.
 Definition of Political obligation
• According to T.H. Green “Political obligation
is intended to include the obligation of the
subject towards the sovereign, the obligation
of the citizen towards the state and the
obligation of the individual to each other as
enforced by a political superior”.
 Different theories of Political
obligation
• Divine right theory
• Consent theory
• Traditional theory
• Idealistic theory
 Divine theory
• Divine theory believes that the state was
created by god and governed by his agent.
• The agent of God was responsible for his
actions to God alone.
• No one could limit or restrict his power.
• His word was law and his actions were always
just and kind.
 Consent theory
• The divine theory was replaced by the consent
theory.
• Consent theory believes that the authority of
the state is based on the consent of the people.
Sanction of political obligation is in the will of
the people.
• Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and J.J Rousseau
are main supporters of the Consent theory.
 Traditional theory
• Traditional theory is also known conservative
theory.
• Political authority is based on principle of
established customary right.
• The person who obey customs also obey the
rules because the fact of obedience has become
like a well established convention.
• Political authority is legitimate, if it is
approved by custom.
 Idealistic theory
• Approval in the rationality of man and state as
a self-sufficient community.
• A person can pursue his best possible
improvement in society by obeying the
command of the state.
• In other words, political obligation in the
moral nature of man.
 Marxian Theory
• Proletariat is supressed by capitalist class.
• Marxian view of the state as an instrument of
the dominant class.
• The working class have no obligation to the
existing bourgeois political order.
• Working class must unite to overthrow such
type of political system.
 Conclusion
• Political obligation is very important concept
in contemporary world which deals with the
duty of the individual towards the state.
• The stability of the state is totally depends
upon, why and how does the individual obey
the law given by the state authority.
 Related Question
• What is the meaning of Political obligation ?
• Examine critically Karl Marx‟s approach to
the notion of political obligation ?
• What is civil and political obligation ?
 References

• Basu, D D., “An introduction to Constitution of

india 2019.
• Gauba, O.P., An Introduction to Political Theory,
2019.
• https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/political-obligation/