Why do we obey the law? From Hobbes to Austin
Channel: mohsenalattar1
Date: 03/10/2013

Must we obey the law? I suspect the answer for most is yes. This makes sense since the alternative -- a society where people pick and choose which laws they wish to be bound by -- sounds somewhat chaotic. Yet, not all agree as instances of civil disobedience the world over demonstrate on a daily basis.

The following clip is PART II in a series on obedience (and disobedience) to the law. Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Austin, each in their own way, develop the concept of the social contract, devising conditions in which the law must be obeyed (or not). Despite the overlap in their thinking, the variations - obedience for prudential or moral reasons - prove important.