Political obligation refers to a moral requirement to obey national laws.
Discussion of political obligation grew during the era of social contract theory, in which Thomas Hobbes and John Locke were crucial in explaining the idea and its importance.
Dudley Knowles considered the topic in his book Political Obligation: A Critical Introduction.
In Crito, Socrates describes the struggle man has with the rule of law and the connection it has with political obligation.
Hobbes accepted the idea of political obligation, stating that government and laws were needed to thrive as a society.