| Political Science II

This course will pick up the threads from Political Science I and delve deeper into the question of political obligation. Simply put, the concern around political obligation is one that asks why the law should be obeyed. As simple as that question may sound, for political philosophy, the answer to this question is far from obvious because the question of political obligation is one of ‘obedience,’ which is inconsistent with the commitment to promote moral autonomy of an individual. Therefore, the question of political obligation that is at the heart of legitimacy for any state, is mired with different kinds of philosophical questions. Under what conditions can citizens decide to obey the state? Is the obligation to obey a permanent one? If not, then under what conditions can citizens withdraw their obligation to obey the state?

The theory of political obligation is ultimately rooted in defining the relationship between state and citizen. It defines whether the state is legitimate in the eyes of the citizens. It also defines what could constitute the precise nature of authority. In light of all this, the course seeks to focus on how obligation may be understood within lived political contexts. Is the state the only real source of authority? What happens when different notions of authority conflict with each other? If citizenship is not uniform, is there is enough reason to assume that even notions of political obligation are not? This course seeks to understand the various theories of political obligation and their limits, as well as to comprehend the contemporary political world through the lens of political obligation. It also considers notions of political obligation that need not be bounded by state borders. In that aspect, it raises an important political question — what political obligations might states have towards people who are not their citizens?

Objectives :

• To theoretically acquaint students with the idea that the relationship between state and citizen is highly contingent.
• To acquaint students with both liberal political theory as well as its critiques from the lens of political obligation.
• To delve into contemporary political debates which contextualise and raise questions about the more abstract aspects of theories of political obligation