The headmaster also thinks there is something in Ms Chua's argument that Chinese parents believe "their kids owe them everything", whereas Westerners think that the obligation lies all in the opposite direction.Educational methods certainly do differ.
At elite level an obligation lies on fans to turn out to support their teams after those in boardrooms heeded strong public pressure to deny Rangers re-entry to the Premier League.
However, should they diverge, the capacity building team is in a difficult situation and becomes very mindful of who pays its salaries and where its highest obligations lie.
Payment for participation might be one; perhaps persuasion and pointing out where our moral obligations lie is all that is required to convince people of their duties.
"We look to organizations such as the Council of Europe to further push the legal standards on prevention of violence and to monitor progress made in Member States," said Veneman. "While legal obligations lie with the state, all sectors of society share the responsibility of condemning and preventing violence against children".
(DJN I.1.15) Similarly, when explaining the legitimating aspect of commands or obligations (human or divine), or that in them which evokes our reverence or respect, Pufendorf stresses the commanding party's ability and willingness to benefit (or his having done so) those on whom the obligation lies.
Mr. Ryan rejected a suggestion that the omission was disrespectful to the 2,000 Americans dead in the war, or that Mr. Romney had an obligation to lay out his plans as a potential commander in chief.
He added that as a historian he felt an obligation to lay out the truth: "I feel strongly that any kind of scholarly testimony should be exemplary work, systematic, comprehensive, rigorous".
Mr. Fox points out that there is also the risk that lawyers will steer clients to their own business concerns, rather than fulfilling their obligation to lay out a range of options objectively.
"For the sake of people's faith in the judicial system, and so that law enforcement really has a deterrent effect, the DOJ has an obligation to lay out to American people what it has done and what it intends to do about it," he said.
