The Grounds and Limits of Political Obligation

This book deals with the question of whether citizens have an obligation to states or political entities generally. The argument of the book attempts to show that the individual receives benefits from the state that form both the grounds and also the limits of that obligation to the state. It revises and updates the State of Nature theory of classical social contract philosophy in the light of developments in game theory and economics. The Grounds and Limits of Political Obligation offers an original theory of the relationship between the individual and the state based upon two principles of political obligation: The Nonaggression Principle - that one is obligated not to inflict natural injuries upon others - and The Public Goods Principle - that individuals have an obligation to do their part in the maintenance of public goods that protect them from natural injuries.