Klosko Flashcards
Q: What is political obligation?
A: The moral requirement to obey the laws of one’s country.
Q: What is the core idea behind consent theory?
A: That political obligations arise from the individual’s consent to be governed.
Q: What is express consent?
A: A clear, direct agreement to obey the law, such as taking a citizenship oath.
Q: What is tacit consent?
A: An implied agreement to obey the law through actions like residing in a country.
Q: What is hypothetical consent?
A: The idea that individuals would consent to obey the law under reasonable conditions.
Q: What is normative consent?
A: The claim that in some situations, it would be morally wrong not to consent, thus creating obligations.
Q: What is John Locke’s contribution to consent theory?
A: Locke argued that people consent to government by choosing to leave the state of nature and live in a society governed by law.
Q: How does Locke justify tacit consent?
A: By arguing that residing in a country and enjoying its benefits implies consent to its laws.
Q: How does David Hume critique tacit consent?
A: He argues that most people do not have a real choice to leave their country, making their “consent” coerced rather than voluntary.
Q: What does A. John Simmons argue about tacit consent?
A: That tacit consent must meet the same conditions as express consent to be valid, which it rarely does.
Q: Why is express consent insufficient to justify widespread political obligation?
A: Because very few people actually give explicit consent to obey the government.
Q: Why does tacit consent fail as a basis for political obligation?
A: Many people are unaware they are “consenting” by living in a country, and they often lack real alternatives.
Q: How does hypothetical consent fail to justify political obligations?
A: As Ronald Dworkin argues, a hypothetical contract is not a real contract and does not create actual obligations.
Q: What problem does the acceptance of benefits argument face?
A: Many government benefits (like security and law enforcement) are non-excludable, meaning people receive them regardless of consent.
Q: What is the idea of reformist consent?
A: A proposal to change political systems so that citizens explicitly consent to government authority.
Q: What problem arises with creating a system where only consenting citizens have full rights?
A: It could lead to unfair divisions in society, where non-consenters still benefit from government without contributing.
Q: Why does Klosko believe consent theory remains influential despite its flaws?
A: Because it aligns with liberal values of autonomy and freedom, making it an appealing yet impractical model.
