O

Oakeshott, Michael (1901–1990) British politi-
cal philosopher

Like Edmund BURKE, Oakeshott emphasizes the impor-
tance of TRADITIONALculture and custom to politics. He
rejects radical rationalist, or utopian, thought that pre-
scribes reforms without taking into account past social
practices and institutions. For this reason, he is consid-
ered CONSERVATIVE. In his book On Human Conduct
(1975), Oakeshott maintains that political or civic phi-
losophy involves analyzing the practices (prudential
and moral) of a society, identifying the ideal character of
a civilization, and integrating rules or procedures with
ETHICALstandards. This implies that civil association is
more than an economic association but includes a com-
mon commitment to a shared moral vision. A country
(or REPUBLIC) can legitimately expect members to abide
by the prevailing moral code, even if they can criticize
the procedures for implementing and enforcing it. Aside
from this public commonality exists private enterprise,
or what John LOCKEtermed CIVIL SOCIETY,which operates
within the social norms. This reflects a kind of tradi-
tional modern conservative British thought.

Further Reading
Greenleaf, W. H. Oakeshott’s Philosophical Politics.London:
Longman’s, 1966.

obligation

In political thought, obligation means a duty that an

individual, group, or society has to another because of

an agreement, COVENANT, or contract. So, in John

LOCKE’s theory of the SOCIAL CONTRACT, the citizens who

form the government (to protect their RIGHTS) have an

obligation to obey the laws. This is related to CONSENT,

which implies that once a person enjoys the benefits of

society (defense, protection of rights, peace, economy,

education, etc.), he or she is obliged to obey the laws

and support the government. Similar to “obedience,”

this idea goes back to the Judeo-CHRISTIANreligious

tradition that enjoins people to acknowledge God as

the giver and protector of life, obeying his COMMAND-

MENTSand serving his purposes. Earlier states (Greece,

Rome, China) based political obligation on force, dom-

ination and absolutist power, but MODERN LIBERALthe-

ory balances rights with obligations. NATURAL-LAW

philosophy ties an individual’s moral obligations to

their objective condition and circumstances. So, for

example, CATHOLIC social philosophy (St. AUGUSTINE)

would say that the action of being involved in sexual

relations carries the obligation to keep and raise any

child produced by that activity. St. Thomas AQUINAS

might say that the subjects’ obedience to a ruler cre-

ates the king’s obligation to rule in the common inter-

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