SUBJECT: POLITICAL OBLIGATION

TOPIC: NATURE AND EXTENT OF AUTHORITY IN POLITICAL OBLIGATION.

What is power, authority and legitimacy?

 Power is the ability to influence the behavior of other person.

 Power having the legitimacy, belief and obedience from people is termed as Authority.
 Legitimacy is the accepted authority by the people.
Government acting as the authority must have power and legitimacy. Legitimacy is achieved
when people will accept the power and authority. For example: in the democratic form of
government people or the citizens will cast their votes for their representatives in elections and
this is like indirectly accepting the power and authority given to the elected person. Hence the
person who is representing the government will have legitimate power and authority.

Views of Max Weber on Authority and political obligation

Weber is the first philosopher to apply the idea of authority and legitimacy in the concept of
political obligation. In his famous book ‘Politics as a vocation’, Weber speaks about his views
on authority. According to him there are three important types of authorities. They are:

Types of authorities

Traditional authority
It is based on beliefs,
traditions and
established norms.
Feudal lords, monarchs,
patriarchs and priest in
churches had this
authority. Its basically
based on the established
beliefs and traditions
which are followed by
people.
Legal and rational –
authority.
It’s the authority having
the legitimacy or the
legitimate power. The
elected representatives
will have the legitimacy
which is accepted by
people through their
votes. As they are having
legal and rational
authority they can rule
over the people.
Charismatic authority
Authority in which the
behavior and the actions
of the authority is
charismatic and pleasant.
This type of behavior can
influence the people
easily. Showcase of heroic
deeds by the authority. So
people will follow and
believe in that type of
authority. So they can
control over the people.
People will also show
obedience to the
authority. E.g. mahatma
gandhiji as father of the
nation.
According to Weber there are 3 main sources of Authority.

 Traditional Authority
 Personal Qualities
 Legality

Authority and political Obligation: people will show complete obedience if government is
legitimate. They show recent if it is dictatorial. Also if government is oppressing and suppressing
the people then they will disobey the authority. The authority must have acceptance from people
and then people will abide by the government.

TOPIC: HISTORY OF THEORY OF JUSTICE

The history of the theory of justice can be traced back even in the philosophies which are
propounded before Plato and Aristotle’s era. The main 4 philosophers in this history are
Cephalus, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus and Glaucon. All are Greek philosophers.

 CEPHALUS – popularly known as spokesman of traditional morality. According to him

“telling the truth and paying ones debt is morale.” His view on justice is based on
hesiodic concept.
Hesiodic concept means live your life according to legal obligations and be honest in
your lives.
 POLEMARCHUS (son of Cephalus) – according to him “giving each man his due or
what was fitting,” is justice. He said justice is “an art of giving good to friend and bad to
enemies.”
 THRASYMACHUS – according to him “justice is the interest of stronger.” State is
sovereign therefore its actions are ought to be just and right. He says successful
selfishness is the true end of life.
Basic ideas of his philosophy are:
1. Might is right.
2. Government enacts laws according to its own interest.
3. Democratic states have its own laws.
4. Justice is good.
5. Rulers are always right.
 GLAUCON – his views on justice are just opposite to that of Thrasymachus philosophy.
According to him “justice is the interest of the weak.” Justice is artificial and product of
convention. Individuals are just being out of necessities. According to him justice is the
contract between the weak and strong people. Justice is the fear of weak than the appetite
of the strong. It is the child of fear. These views are the views on justice by Glaucon.