B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Political Science Minor-II-3: State and Political Obligations Syllabus - KSLU 2026

• Course-IV Political Science
• Minor-II-3: State & Political Obligations

UNIT- I

• 1. Introduction - Political obligation meaning nature & characteristics.
• 2. Kinds of political obligations.
• 3. Obligations of the State - under monarchy (ancient & medieval) ; according to individualism, socialism & welfare state
• 4. Political obligations - of individuals citizens and other members of the state , to the state

UNIT- II

• 1. Law - meaning nature, sources, kinds; law and morality
• 2. Deligated legislation - (a special mention); meaning need for ; growth of; advantages & limitations ; safeguards.
• 3. A) liberty- meaning, importance, kinds.
• B) Equality - meaning , importance, kinds.
• C) Relations between liberty & Equality.
• 4. Justice - meaning & interpretation ; kinds ; anient, medieval & modern interpretations.

UNIT-III

• 1. Approaches to Political Obligation
• d) Individualism - background, statememt, merits & limitations.
• e) Utilitarianism - background, statement, merits & limitations ; a note on the contributionsof Jeremy bentham & J. S. Mill
• f) Idealism - background, statememt, merits &limitations ; kant hegel and T. H. Green- a brief study.

UNIT- IV

• 1. Power - meaning, aspects, sources, kinds.
• 2. Authority - meaning, power vs authority; Legitimisation of power; limitations and conditions; kinds (refrence to max weber onkinds of domination)
• 3. Responsibility- a) meaning, relationship with authority & kinds- personal, institutional & Professional.
• b) accountability- (as an adjunct of responsibility ) meaning, importance & kinds.

UNIT- V

• 1. Obedience to Law - a legal duty ; need for and importance; why do people obey law normally, reasons.
• 2. Problem of Punishment - a) can the state use fore against its citizens ? arguments for and limitations conditions to be observed.
• b) kinds of punishment
• c) Theories of punishment
• 3. can laws disobeyed ? under what conditions ?
• a) The problem of Civil disobedience meaning, features, conditions, and limitations (aording to laws) civil disobedience to be contrasted with revolution.
• b) a special refrene to the civil disobedience movement under gandhiji sathya, ahimsa & satyagraha influence of Thoreau.
• c) Neo - Gandhian movement a brief refrence to martin luther king (Sr) U. S. A. and Nelson Mandela( South Africa)

READINGS :

• 1) John Horton :Political obligation
• 2) Margret Gilbert : A theory of political obligation
• 3) M. Srinivas Rao : Political obligations
• 4) Agrawal R C : Political theory
• 5) Madan Gandhi :Modern political Analysis
• 6) Johari J. C : Contemporarypolitical theory
• 7) Burton L :(chap 12) Civil disobediene liberty justice& Morals
• 8) Dubey S N :Political science theory (chapter 25 onwards)
• 9)Carole Pateman :The problem of political obligation.
• 10) Eddy Ashirvatham & Mishra : Political theory (relevant chapters)
• 11) Karl Lowenstein :Political power and government process
• 12) A recommended text book :On public administration.
• 13) R C Agarwal; Gokhale & A C Kapoor :On the relevant chapters.