The Duty to Obey the Law: Selected Philosophical Readings

by William A. Edmundson

Book Overview

The question 'Why should I obey the law?' introduces a contemporary puzzle that is as old as philosophy itself. The puzzle is especially troublesome if we think of cases in which breaking the law is not otherwise wrongful, and in which the chances of getting caught are negligible. Philosophers from Socrates to H.L.A. Hart have struggled to give reasoned support to the idea that we do have a general moral duty to obey the law but, more recently, the greater number of learned voices has expressed doubt that there is any such duty, at least as traditionally conceived.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 084769254X
• ISBN13: 9780847692545
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 362 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Good philosophical grounding

This is a good grounding in legal theory in relation to the reasons as to why people obey the law. An excellent reader for those who are interested in the competing reasons for civil obedience.