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The Particularities of Legitimacy: John Simmons on Political Obligation
Author(s) -
Walton Kevin
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
ratio juris
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.344
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1467-9337
pISSN - 0952-1917
DOI - 10.1111/raju.12000
Subject(s) - obligation , legitimacy , generality , politics , moral obligation , epistemology , law , philosophy , law and economics , sociology , political science , economics , management
In this paper, I examine the terms on which John Simmons rejects all arguments for a moral obligation to obey the law and so defends “philosophical anarchism.” Although I accept his rejection of several criteria on which others might and often do insist, I criticize his reliance on the conditions of “generality” and “particularity.” In doing so, I propose an alternative to his influential conception of legitimacy.