Political Obligation Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Obligation - Thesis ExampleThe basic thesis is that obeying the law enables concourse to be much free within their actions than not.Rousseaus The Social Contract was a highly influential treatise on hos a society based upon laws should work, and why it does actually work. It is a unassailable foundation for why people should obey the law. Within this work Rousseau suggests that the somebody person gives up certain freedoms in return for the protection of society as regards much larger freedoms. For example, most people try to obey traffic laws such as stopping at a red light. This might be seen as a curtailment of their freedom to drive their car wherever they want whenever they want, but obeying red light laws preserves a much great freedom that of surviving your journey. Thus the individual gives up a small right in return for a much greater one.The contract that so ensues between the individual and society is one that is social in nature. The individual agrees to ob ey the laws and the State, in the form of the government, police force, justice system etc. agrees to fork up an environment in which people are as safe as possible and free to go about their own business. The social contract dejection too be understood by a consideration of those societies in which it is not present. Thus in times of anarchy, such as a urbane war, individuals are free to do virtually whatever they want as law and order has broken down. Does this imply more freedom In a theoretical sense perhaps, but the reality of the situation is that most people are afraid for their lives much of the time. The law of the jungle is no law at all. Does this imply that the modern society, as exemplified by advanced Western countries, with sophisticated justice systems and capitalist economic paradigms are totally favorable One giant of philosophy, Karl Marx, would suggest not. Karl Marx suggested that laws were generally a codified means by which one class (the ruling) keeps ev eryone else (ie. you and me) in check. Marxists in general recognize that for society to function efficiently, there needs to be social order. However, they believed that in all societies except the Communist one, laws were designed to be of advantage to the wealthy. Thus the famous Marxist dictum that plaza is theft. It is interesting to note that even for Marx laws were necessary, as was public obedience to them. It was the nature of those laws that Marx disagreed with, not the fact that they should exist at all.One reason the individual may find for obeying the law is the tendency for labeling to occur within society.Labeling theory suggests that the labels we give to individuals effects how they eventually act. Thus if a person comes from a sex or racial group that is perceived to be criminal, then they are more likely to act in a criminal way. The converse is also true - if you come from a supposedly law-abiding group - within American society, white upper class would be an example, then you are slight likely to become a criminal. Having a system of theoretically objective laws in place stops such stereotyping as much as is possible. If people obey those laws then labeling is much likely to occur. For example, this author was once stopped in bookstore for acting in a supposedly suspicious manner. composition I did not fit the classic profile of a criminal, I was acting as one in the eyes of store shelter and so was stopped and eventually searched. In my situation I was labeled as a