Abstract

The concept of political obligation is primarily a western product. From consent theory to the principle of fairness, western scholars have offered a variety of explanations to the nature and ground of political obligation. The following work attempts to respond to the problems of political obligation by presenting answers offered by Confucianism. ;The Confucian explanation for the obligation to obey political authority consists of three major concepts: Mandate of Heaven: A political authority is established by the mandate of Heaven expressed through natural phenomena or through human agents. Ruler's virtue: A ruler must be a virtuous person by cultivation of himself in order for him to establish his power. People's acceptance of the ruler: In order for people to obey the ruler sincerely, he must be accepted by them. ;As the Confucian tradition's basic concern of political order is the benefit of the people, it may appear to be similar to the basis of the modern democratic institution. However, the spirit of Confucianism and western political philosophy are somewhat different. First, Confucianism generally looks at obeying government from the standpoint of the political entity as a whole, while western thinkers primarily base their arguments from the perspectives of individuals. Second, Confucianism puts greater emphasis on the legitimacy of the political authority, whereas western theories concentrated on justifying individual judgement. Finally, Confucianism is more concerned with maintaining the political order by dealing with political obedience; western scholars, on the other hand, are more interested in the development of democratic institutions and the promotion of individual rights. It is hoped that the study and comparison in this research offers some insight and contributes to a general theory of political obligation