The state is obliged to protect individuals' rights, provide security, and administer justice, while individuals should obey legitimate laws, respect others' rights, and contribute to society. These reciprocal duties depend on whether the state's political authority is legitimate.
In social contract theory, political obligations arise from an actual or hypothetical agreement. Individuals accept restrictions on freedom in exchange for security and cooperation that government provides. This exchange attempts to reconcile personal liberty with the need for a stable political order.
| Thinker | State's obligation | Individual's obligation |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Hobbes | Maintain peace and prevent insecurity | Obey the sovereign while protection is provided |
| John Locke | Protect natural rights to life, liberty, and property | Obey a legitimate, limited government |
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Express the general will and preserve political equality | Participate as a citizen and follow collectively prescribed laws |
| John Stuart Mill | Protect liberty; coerce only to prevent harm to others | Respect others' liberty and avoid causing harm |
For Locke, government rests on consent. If it systematically violates natural rights, it breaks the contract, giving citizens a right of resistance. Hobbes permits less resistance because preventing violent disorder is the state's purpose, although each person retains a right to self-preservation.
Individual duties may include obeying law, paying taxes, respecting rights, and participating politically. However, political obligation is not unconditional: unjust laws can create conflict between legal and moral duty, supporting civil disobedience.
A common misconception is that state and individual obligations are always equal. They are not: authoritarian accounts prioritize obedience, whereas liberal theories make authority conditional on rights protection.
In an IB Philosophy response, define political obligation and legitimacy, compare at least two positions, and apply them to an example such as an unjust law. For evaluate, assess strengths and limitations before reaching a justified conclusion.
