Blackwell Reference Online

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P olitical philosophy A basic question in political philosophy concerns the grounds of legitimacy for a government or authority. The question can also be asked in terms of political obligation , that is, the basis of one's obligation to obey the coercive power of a government or authority. Answering these questions requires a rationale for the right of an authority to make decisions and its justification for having them obeyed. A major attempt to justify authority, initiated by Hobbes , is provided by a variety of social contract theories. The ruled consent to the transformation of political power into political authority in exchange for benefits such as justice, security, happiness, and liberty. In contemporary political theory, the test for this ground for legitimacy is whether a government upholds certain basic human rights. Max Weber suggested three sources of legitimacy: traditions or customs, rational-legal procedures, and individual charisma. “A state is legitimate if its constitutional structure and practices are such that its citizens have a general obligation to obey political decisions that purport to impose duties on them. An argument for legitimacy need only provide reasons for that general situation.” Dworkin, Law's Empire ... log in or subscribe to read full text