A Philosophical Theory of Citizenship: Obligation, Authority, and MembershipWhy should we obey the law? Why should we willingly sacrifice life, liberty, and property to preserve our political community? Which laws are authorized? Which exceed government's authority? What kind of community merits our allegiance today? What do we owe fellow citizens, prospective immigrants, and foreign communities? A Philosophical Theory of Citizenship addresses these and other seminal questions about legal obligation, government authority, and political community. It rejects contemporary political philosophy's anti-foundational conventions by building its arguments from the ground up on an innovative, idiomatic theory of reality, ethical conduct, and the self. It employs this theory to provide scholars and students with a concise, wide-ranging defense of patriotic duty, classical liberty, and national sovereignty. |
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acquire Alasdair MacIntyre apparent experience appropriate argues arguments benefits Bernard Bosanquet book's Cambridge University Press Chapter citizenship civil order coerce coercion coercive commands compatriots concerning conduct confederation conscription consent consent theories Consequently constitutive idioms culturally customs defend despotism developed employ enforce ernment Ethics Ethics of Liberty example explain F. H. Bradley foreign citizens global union government authority government's Hobbes human ideal idiomatic idioms implies individual institutions J. G. A. Pocock juridical function Klosko laws learned idioms legal obligations Liberty live coherently Michael Michael Oakeshott military Miller moral obligations Moreover nation-state Oakeshott obey obligated to observe Oxford University Press particular patriotic people's philosophical political community political community's political obligation postulate principle problems projects promote property rights R. M. Hare reality reasons require resolve Richard Tuck role Rothbard rule seek share social sovereign sovereignty suppose T. H. Green territory theory things tion trans universal prescriptivism Walzer welfare