> [!summary] Progressive Summary # Structured Notes ## Definitions ## Chapter Summaries - Two aspects of authority: - "(i) _Political legitimacy_: the right, on the part of a government, to make certain sorts of laws and enforce them by coercion against the members of its society - in short, the right to rule." - "(ii) _Political obligation:_ the obligation on the part of citizens to obey their government, even in circumstances in which one would not be obligated to obey similar commands issued by a nongovernmental agent." - What is coercion? - "A person's use of or threat to use physical force against another person." - "Government is a coercive institution". - "All actual governments attach punishments to nearly all laws" - Is this true? I can find out by simply looking through the Singapore legislation. - "Direct physical violence is rarely used as a punishment. Nevertheless, violence plays a crucial role in the system, because without the threat of violence, lawbreakers could simply choose not to suffer punishment." - The government commands that drivers stop before all red lights. - If this rule is violated, you must pay a $200 fine. - But if you weren't willing to obey the first command, why would obey the 2nd? - The government can escalate by revoking your license. - But then why would you stop driving without license if you didn't obey the first 2 commands? - Eventually, the government must anchor its chain of commands by a threat that the violator cannot deny, a non-voluntary intervention. This anchor is provided by physical force. You will eventually be put in prison for your violations. - Harmful coercion requires a justification. There are situations in which coercion is justified, for instance in self-defense or defense of innocent third parties - 5 principles on which government authority rests on: - 1. Generality - The state's authority applies to most of its citizens - 2. Particularity - The state has authority only over its own citizens in a way it does not towards citizens of other states. And citizens of a state have obligations to their own state and not to others. - 3. Content-independence - The state has authority to impose all kinds of laws, even ones that might be considered bad. Certain grossly unjust laws might be exempted, such as those justifying slavery. - 4. Comprehensiveness - The state has authority to govern large aspects of its citizens lives. Perhaps it may not intrude on private religious practices, but examples of comprehensive authority include drug use, food preparation procedures, trading of financial securities, medical procedures, weapon possession, movement in and out of the country - 5. Supremacy - Within the sphere of action which the state is entitled to regulate, the state is the highest human authority. No non-governmental agent has the power to command the state, and no other entity has the kind of power over individuals which the state has. - Timeline - Homo sapiens emerged 200,000 years ago - For the first 190,000 years, we were hunter gatherers - During the remaining 10,000 years, human society was organized around tyranny - About 200 years ago, we started moving toward democracy # Quotes