Consent & Its Cousins

Publication Title

Ethics

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Abstract

Consent theories of political obligation draw upon the unique powers consent exhibits in everyday dealings, but they are frustrated by the "problem of massive nonconsent." Expansions of what is counted as consent, such as tacit or hypothetical consent, have seemed untrue to the core concept of giving willing consent. David Estlund proposes a novel conception, "normative consent," to address the problem of massive nonconsent while being true to "the idiom of consent." This comment details consent’s virtues and shows that consent theories cannot claim enough of them to vindicate political obligation.

Recommended Citation

William A. Edmundson, Consent & Its Cousins, 121 Ethics 335 (2011).

DOI

10.1086/658143

Volume

121

Issue

2

First Page

335

Last Page

353

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS