Lectures on the Principles of Political Obligation

by Thomas Hill Green

The present work is Thomas Hill Green's account of his conception of 'the common good' and its importance in determining a set of criteria that will give us the means to evaluate the conduct of political establishments. The principles of political obligation are all founded on this attractive idea of a common good, and Green is able to apply his principles to a wide range of matters from land law to personal freedom. How well the book succeeds in convincing the reader that a common good ought to act as a basis for evaluating the role of political establishments may be unclear. But there can be little doubt that the work is one of the most important contributions to political philosophy made by any English philosopher, and almost certainly the single most important contribution made by any British idealist. The book has attracted philosophers, sociologists, politologists and others since the day of its appearance, and continues to fuel lively debate today.

Genres: Politics, Philosophy

276 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

Thomas Hill Green was an English philosopher, political radical and temperance reformer, and a member of the British idealism movement. Like all the British idealists, Green was influenced by the metaphysical historicism of G.W.F. Hegel. He was one of the thinkers behind the philosophy of social liberalism.

Reviews

[Talha Koseoglu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a comprehensive book on political theory which deals primarily with the origin of the state and the rights derived from the presence of the state. As the title of the book suggests the main question to be answered in the book is why do citizens oblige to follow the rules established by the state that they are subjected to and what sort of obligations they owe to their state. In T.H. Green's words his purpose is "to consider the moral function or object served by law, or by the system of rights and obligations which the state enforces, and in so doing to discover the true ground or justification for obedience to law". To this end, Green first analyzes (contract) theories concerning the origin of the state (reviewing Spinoza, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau) and then lays down his own view of the origin of the state. Criticizing the contract theories which hold that the civil society owes its existence to the original contract, hence to the formation of a state or commonwealth, Green argues that any contract, and any right which is to be delivered to the sovereign through the contract, already presupposes the existence of a society. Most helpful is Green's succinct explanations of contract theories of the aforementioned philosophers as well as his historically-grounded criticism of this particular theory on the origins of the state.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lectures on The Principles of Political Obligation" is a book written by Thomas Hill Green, an influential British philosopher and political theorist. The book is a collection of lectures that Green delivered at Balliol College, Oxford in the 1870s, and it was first published posthumously in 1895.

In the book, Green discusses the nature and foundation of political obligation, which he defines as the moral obligation that individuals have to obey the laws and authority of the state. He argues that political obligation is based on the idea of the common good, and that individuals have a duty to support and participate in the political system in order to promote the welfare of society as a whole.

Green also discusses the role of the state in promoting social justice and individual rights, arguing that the state has a responsibility to ensure that all individuals have equal access to the benefits and opportunities of society. He emphasizes the importance of individual freedom, but also stresses that freedom must be balanced with responsibility and obligation to the community.

Overall, "Lectures on The Principles of Political Obligation" is an important work in the history of political philosophy. Green's ideas about the nature of political obligation, the role of the state in promoting social justice, and the relationship between freedom and responsibility continue to be relevant and influential today.

GPT