Obligation and Freedom: Reconsidering Rousseau in the Era of Globalization

Abstract

In the era of the global surge in political and economic liberalism, the traditional concept of governing based on the predominant status and autonomy of the state is weakening, and the state’s exclusive right to demand loyalty from subunits inside its territory has been brought into question. Then why are we still obliged to obey the state? To shed light on this fundamental question, this essay analyzes the inquiries of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau on political obligation, political authority, and freedom. This essay argues that, in a time when the logic of market and private interests undermine both the freedom of individuals and their equal citizenship, Rousseau’s insights into how the political community can make all citizens truly free and equal beings require a serious reconsideration.