Divine Right Theory of Kings, Social Contract/ Consent Theory, Theory of Force

A king who answers to God alone, a citizen who has silently 'agreed' to be governed just by staying in the country, and a conqueror obeyed simply because no one can stop him — three completely different stories for the same demand: obey the State. This topic sets Divine Right, Social Contract and Force side by side.

In two minutes

Divine Right theory grounds political obligation in God's appointment of the ruler; Social Contract (Consent) theory grounds it in an agreement, real or hypothetical, by which individuals leave a state of nature and accept government; the theory of Force grounds it simply in the ruler's superior coercive power.

The rest of this chapter

The full explanation, the cheat sheet, every previous-year question at every mark weight, the quiz and the answer skeletons are part of Political Science – II: Foundations of Political Obligation on LexBlox Semester. Sign in to unlock the subject, or read Module 1 of Legal Language and Writing free.