CLASSICAL POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

ASSIGNMENT 2

Q2. Discuss the idea of Political Obligation in Hobbes’ social contract theory

INTRODUCTION
Thomas Hobbes is a pivotal figure in the history of Western political philosophy. He is widely
regarded as the father of modern political science and one of the first modern state theorists. In
the year 1588, he was born. His ideas about human nature, legitimate political authority, and
sovereignty have influenced scholarly debates in a wide range of fields, including political
science, international relations, and law.
Hobbes was a truly unique thinker. He had little regard for the works of classical Greek
philosophers such as Aristotle, whom his contemporaries held in high regard. He sets out to
create a new science of politics, heavily influenced by the scientific revolution at the time, as
well as the works of modern science pioneers such as Galileo.
Furthermore, Hobbes was the undisputed founder of the modern social contract tradition and the
first political thinker to give the social contract theory a structured treatment. The notion that a
group of people's political obligations arise from a covenant or social contract between them, on
the other hand, has a long history in political philosophy.
Finally, Hobbes published several notable works, including The Elements of Law in 1630, De
Cive in 1642, and Leviathan in 1651.

POLITICAL OBLIGATION

Many theorists believe that any government's long-term stability is founded on the obligation
that its people feel to obey its laws. What kind of political obligation theory Hobbes advocated is
a contentious issue. There are several perspectives on this. According to the traditional Hobbes
interpretation, which is shared by Watkins and Nagel, Leviathan has no concept of moral
obligation at all. When he writes that contracts have no standing in nature because there is no one
to enforce their being followed, Hobbes accepts that contracts are obeyed only when there is fear
of punishment, that is, for prudential reasons, and not because one feels obliged because one has
entered into a contract.
This idea is opposed by the Taylor-Warrender thesis, as it is commonly known. Hobbes,
according to this theory, had a theory of moral obligation, but the basis of this obligation was
more than just individuals agreeing to a covenant. It was claimed that Hobbes saw natural laws
as a set of divine commands as well as the result of rational pragmatic judgement. Citizens were
thus obligated to obey the laws of the state not through a promise to each other to obey the
sovereign, but rather through natural laws that command us to keep our covenants. Furthermore,
all natural laws are binding. Individuals do not simply obey state laws out of fear; they consider
it their duty to do so, which they derive from God's commands, according to Warrender.
According to these scholars, Hobbes is able to maintain the position of sovereign on the basis of
a theory of political obligation.

Moreover, In Hobbes' theory, the following bases of political obligation can be listed.
 First, there was a punitive aspect to non-obedience; if people disobeyed, they could be
punished.
 Second, in addition to the fear of punishment, there was a moral consideration attached to
contract fulfillment because the first three laws of nature instructed each individual to
follow and obey the contract if all others did the same. In fact, it is the Leviathan's stated
duty to ensure that all parties followed the terms of the contract.
 Third, there was a political reason for the obedience. Each citizen had freely consented to
the sovereign's production and authorized it to act as their savior with all its powers.
Respecting the covenant was therefore only politically prudent.
 Finally, Hobbes presented a religious argument. He believed that there was no distinction
between natural law and civil law. As a result, both were to be obeyed, as natural laws
were presented as God's commands for building a peaceful and prosperous society.

Scholars have disagreed and debated the nature of political obligation as reflected in Hobbes'
political philosophy, particularly the social contract. Leo Strauss claims in his book Hobbes'
Political Philosophy that Hobbes' concept of political obligation was primarily physical. He
claims that the sovereign deserved respect and the ability to compel obedience because he was
all-powerful. Because his authority was legitimate and enforceable, the sovereign had the right to
punish if a subject refused.

In his famous article 'The Ethical Doctrine of Hobbes,' A.E. Taylor (1938) takes a very different
stance. He claimed that, unlike the more widely held belief in prudential obligation, obeying the
sovereign had a more ethical component. He approaches the topic from a deontological
perspective, claiming that political obligation is derived from natural law principles rather than
human psychology. These laws became the guiding force for obedience and maxims guiding
human behavior under the social contract. Taylor went on to argue that Hobbes' civil philosophy
had to be understood through two opposing and disconnected subsystems: theistic deontology
and an egoistic psychology.
In his book ‘The Political Philosophy of Hobbes’, Warrender takes a similar stance. He claimed
that Hobbes' political obligation is founded on natural laws, which Hobbes subtly presents as
God's will or command. In Hobbes theory, Warrender believed that motive and obligation must
be understood and treated separately. When the social contract enabled escape from the state of
nature, the motive system concluded with the principle of self-preservation being realized.
Obligation, on the other hand, has its own logic. It was founded on the obligation to obey natural
law because natural law guided humans to peace, but it is also a command of God that must be
obeyed at all costs. Political obligation, according to Hobbes, is fundamentally based on a duty
theory within the natural law tradition. Political obligation was primarily moral in nature, and
there was a link between salvation and obedience.
According to Michael Oakeshott, Hobbes' obligation was primarily motivated by individual
self-interest (1975). He agrees with Leo Strauss in some ways. He proposes a different
interpretation, viewing Hobbes' political philosophy as proposing a hybrid of physical, rational,
and moral obligations. He asserted that the moral obligation was to obey the sovereign's
legitimate will, which was not motivated by self-interest. Submission to the sovereign authority,
which was founded on the consent of the governed, resulted in moral obligation. Physical
obligation existed as well because the sovereign was the legitimate controller of the supreme
power bestowed upon him by the covenant and could use his authority to impose obedience,
failing which they faced punishment. Finally, because the individual desired peace and order,
there was a rational obligation based on self-interest.
According to C. B. Macpherson (1973), Hobbes' theory of human nature was deduced from his
analysis of man's materialistic behavior within a bourgeois society governed by the market, and
that the theory was not universally valid. Such a point of view was only necessary and possible
in a possessive market society. Because of the materialistic assumption, Hobbes was able to
assume that individuals had an equal need to be in constant motion, and this equal need
established an equal right and a moral obligation. Because of the market assumption, Hobbes
was able to assume that men's insecurity was equal. "Hobbes was able to treat his political
obligation as a moral obligation because it arose from the transfer of rights that he regarded as
moral rights" (Macpherson ibid: 76).
Pitkin proposed the concept of 'hypothetical consent,' claiming that rational beings wanted to
avoid nature's state in order to avoid anarchy and perpetual war. Citizens made a rational choice
to follow the laws of nature for their own survival, and everything else flowed from this
fundamental understanding. Pitkin claims that the desire for self-preservation drives all forms of
obligation, and that any rational citizen would follow these principles.

Thus, Hobbes believed that in order for society to thrive, it required authority. More specifically,
he saw it as a struggle for power among humans. Hobbes accepted the concept of political
obligation, stating that government and laws were required for a society to thrive. Hobbes agreed
on the concept of individual liberty. He saw that this freedom was limited and was accompanied
by a legal obligation.

THANK YOU

NAME- ASHIMA MEHRA

ROLL NO- 20203811
COURSE- B.A. (HONS) POLITICAL SCIENCE
SEMESTER & YEAR- 5TH SEMESTER, 3RD YEAR
MOBILE NO- 7618030825