IAH 231B

the view that gov't power is legitimate and that citizens have a powerful obligation to obey governmental laws and directives

the view that the gov't claims to act for the common good but they are in fact tools for servicing the interests of those who hold power

anti-political philosophy

1. no gov'ts are legitimate 2. no one has a moral duty to obey the law3. human beings would be better off w/o gov'ts

the view that one cannot reasonably decide either that all gov'ts are legitimate or that none are

1.

the state is socrates' parent 2. everyone ought to obey his/her parents3. if socrates escapes, he disobeys his parent4. therefore, socrates ought not escape

1. the state is socrates' benefactor 2. everyone ought to obey his/her benefactor 3.

if socrates escapes he disobeys his benefactor4. therefore socrates ought not escape

1. socrates made an agreement to obey the state2. everyone ought to keep his/her agreements3.

if socrates escapes he will violate his agreement4. therefore socrates ought not escape

"just or right meas nothing but what is to the interest of the stronger party"

1. equivalent of Thrasymachus' view: rulers are out for self and manipulate the state for their own good2. subtle version: rulers actually see themselves as acting for the good of society as a whole & sincerely reject that they're defenders of oppression

1. a description of the nature of gov't2.

a prescription or recommendation about how we should act toward gov't and politics

people who look at their gov't and assert it's organized to benefit the rulers

those who believe all gov'ts are organized to benefit the rulers

all gov'ts are by nature exploitative

while some are exploitative not all are necessarily

1. individual autonomy has extraordinary value2. gov'ts and laws limit freedom by imposing restrictions on individuals and supporting those restrictions w/ force

1. all of us value and desire many things2. freedom is simply the ability to act to achieve our goals and satisfy our desires

the idea that a moral principle is only valid or acceptable if it could be followed by everyone

1. economic inequality2.

prisons and criminal justice3. war and the state

anarchists who believe in the 1st three 3 beliefs but not the 3rd. (gov'ts ought to be abolished)

scarcity

competition

motive of fear or suspicion (aka diffidence)

desire to be "top dog" or "number 1" (domination)

1. anarchists2. super patriots

1.

any law degrading humanity is unjust2. any law is a code that a power majority uses to compel a minority3. a law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority group 4. if a law is unjust by its application

1. what sort of gov't is in power?2. what sorts of procedures were followed in the passing of the law?3.

what sort of law is it?

1. be mistaken that a particular gov't or law is unjust2. choose wrong means to oppose unjust gov't or laws