Social Contract and the Grounds of Political Obligation: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Anarchist Critiques Introduction The question of political obligation — why individuals ought to obey the state — has occupied the center of political theory since the early modern period. The social contract tradition, represented by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, offered … Continue reading Compare and contrast the social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau in terms of the grounds and limits of political obligation. Assess whether anarchist critiques (e.g., by Bakunin or Wolff) successfully undermine the very idea of political obligation, or merely call for its redefinition.