Why Should We Obey the Law?

Whether we should obey the law is a question that affects everyone’s day-to-day life, from traffic laws to taxes. Most people obey out of habit, but the question remains: why are we morally required to do so? If we fail to obey, the state may enforce compliance, but is it right for it to do this, and if so, why?

In this book, George Klosko, a renowned authority on political obligation, skillfully probes these questions.  He considers various prominent theories of obligation and shows why they are unconvincing, contending that only an approach that interweaves multiple principles, rooted in "fair play," is fully persuasive.

Klosko develops the fullest statement of his own well-known theory of political obligation while providing a clear overview of the subject.  The result is both an essential introductory text for students of political theory and philosophy and a cutting-edge, original contribution to the debate.

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Consent Theory

Chapter 3: The Principle of Fair Play

Chapter 4: Multiple Principle Theory

Chapter 5: Limits of Political Obligation

References

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.