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OW 17- 5S, Syr- CD vmine Any, , BA | Sem. Political Theory, TOPIC: POLITICAL OBLIGATION AND GROUNDS OF RESISTANCE, , Introduction:, , The term ‘obligation’ originates from a Latin word ‘obligate’, implying something that binds men to an engagement of performing, what is enjoined. In Political Science, it means a bond between man as, a citizen and the authority under which he lives, to perform an act/s, for the governing authority. In other words, it implies that when man, is a political creature, he is bound to live under some authority and it, becemes his obligation to obey its commands. Hence, when the, authority rule is a law, and the association a state, we call this, ‘Political Obligation’., , Political Obligation holds that Government is a difficult art and, any wrong move has serious consequences. Therefore, it is the duty of, every person to have interest in public affairs and political questions., It is required that those who are in high offices should govern for the, general goods. Political Obligation also involves political legitimacy, and holds that the existing social institutions are most appropriate for, society. The idea of political obligation not only informs people to, obey the authority of those in power, but it also informs them to be, critical about the way government or authority exercise its powers., The people should scrutinize the actions of their rulers and revolt, against them when the authority invades their liberties or act against, the constitution. Thus, the idea of political obligation also involves the, , idea of resistance to authority., , Grounds of Resistance:, , Men are not only obliged to obey the state, but they have a right, to disobey the state under certain circumstances. While the Divine and, Prescriptive theories do not allow the right to resist political authority, under any condition, the Consent and Pragmatic theories allow, political disobedience’ in ceriain attitude. Thomas Hobbes, who is a, staunch advocate of the idea of absolute and unlimited legal, sovereignty, recognizes right to resistance in case the Leviathan, endangers the life of the people. And then he sanctions that everyone, has a right to disobey the sovereign if he is commanded to kill or, wound himself. , ., , John Locke also says that people have a right to revolt, in case, the Sovereign viclates the terms of the contract and forfeits the trust of

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the community. In the nineteenth century, right to resistance is, sanctioned by T.H Green who says tnat there should be no revolt for, protecting the interest of a particular individual or a class or a section, of the society. But he calls it duty to disobey the authority when the, action of the state is detrimental to the general will or the good of the, maximum people., , Thus, after analyzing all the different views, we can sum up the, ground of resistance to political obligation in the following ways:, , 1. The people have a right to resist political authority in case, a, majority of them considered that the action of the sovereign is, detrimental to the over-all interest of the community., , 2. Political disobedience is a conditional affair and is not something, absolute. There is no universal law applicable and it is for the, people by and large to decide when the conditions so warrant., , 3. Resistance to political obligation should not be given the form of a, political mischief. People may resist the bad action of their rulers,, but they cannot take actions to damage the general social order to, an irreparable extent., , Conclusion:, , The existence of a constitutional government secures the case of, political obligation. People must obey the order of the state in case it, conforms to the provisions of the constitution. In case, the government, violates the constitution, it should be criticized, even overthrown.