This book argues that this notion is a moral illusion. How does huemer respond to the claim that drug use harms third parties. Politics, power, and authority boundless sociology. Therefore it is unjust for the state to punish people who use drugs.
A civil state usually makes this formal by way of a judicial branch and an executive branch of government. In my view, michael huemers new the problem of political authority. Professor huemer, aaron, and trevor tackle problems of political obligation, political legitimacy, and political authority, and explain the differences between each of these terms. He claims that we should not prohibit all behavior that harms third parties in any way. The problem of political authority by michael huemer econlib. He admits that one must be capable of handling certain mishaps that tend to befall perception from time to time, but does not make any conclusive statements about how this is to be done. The social contract theory is the most prominent account of authority in the last 400 years of philosophy and has as good a claim as any to being americas theory of authority. Huemers theses 3 1 the two most prominent arguments for outlawing drugs fail 2 the prohibition of drugs is unjust 3 individuals have a natural right to take drugs if they wish.
An orderly and livable society thus does not require acquiescence in the illusion of political authority. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey book. The problem of political authority michael huemer bok. Michael huemer is the author of the problem of political authority 4. Justifying the special moral status of government is known as the problem of political authority. Huemer believes that the american federal government needs to not prohibit the use of drugs. The state is often ascribed a special sort of authority, one that obliges citizens to obey its commands and entitles the state to enforce those commands through threats of violence. Michael huemers book is an attack on the state, and on much of what. A merger, consolidation or amalgamation, in a political or administrative sense, is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities, such as municipalities in other words cities, towns, etc.
Objection to the possibility of limiting political authority. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the problem of political authority. And yet, through careful reasoning that relies on commonly held ethical intuitions. Getting the idea of government and political authority out. Whats missing in the problem of political authority. What makes it philosophically interesting is that it tries to do so by combining a philosophical critique of political authority with what. I argue that taxation for redistributive purposes is a property rights violation, responding to arguments due to nagel, murphy, sunstein, and holmes claiming that individuals lack ownership of their pretax incomes.
Moral philosophy and social science have rarely been so seamlessly merged. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey transcript brennan. The term authority identifies political legitimacy, which. Diagram the three major traditional theoretical frameworks of political sociology, plus trends in contemporary sociology. The prima facie case most theories of distributive justice call for coercive redistribution of wealth on the part of the state on these views, the state should take money from the relatively wealthy, presumably via taxation, to enrich the relatively poor. The consequentialist explanation of political authority contends that great social. This consent grants the government political authority therefore showing the difference between a citizens actions and the governments actions.
Each has notoriously foundered on difficult problems in the past. Huemer fails to account for a practical problem in his theory. Michael huemers 20 book the problem of political authority sets out to prove a radical conjecture. Michael huemer, author of the problem of political authority. He allows that certain restrictions should be placed on what one may do while intoxicated. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. Buy the problem of political authority by michael huemer. The problem of political authority an examination of the. I recently read this book, and although it is generally interesting and wellwritten i have some criticisms to put forward. He has authored such books as the problem with political authority. Michael huemers the problem of political authority 123. Ive read almost every major work of libertarian political philosophy.
An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey is the best book in the genre. Philosophy and phenomenological research 74 1, 3055, 2007. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey is a book by university of colorado philosophy professor michael huemer released in january 20. Huemer americas unjust drug war flashcards quizlet. The term politics is generally applied to behavior within civil governments.
An examination of michael huemers book on the right to coerce and the duty to obey. Get free shipping on the problem of political authority by michael huemer, from. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey by michael huemer. The school draws attention to the potential negative consequences of free interaction between politics and administration e. Part ii counters the consequentialist defense of the existence of the state by arguing that the expected consequences of anarchocapitalism are, at minimum, tolerable. The problem of political authority by michael huemer. In his 20 book the problem of political authority michael huemer attempts to defend the idea that states have no legitimate authority and that we should therefore move to an anarchic anarchocapitalist society. Now if, as i claim, all theories of political authority fail, what political.
Bryan caplan praises michael huemers work on the problem of political authority because it avoids the extremes of both rightsbased and consequentialist reasoning. Myself the one who made the article and huemer author of the problem of political authority, who i quoted both assumed familiarity with the arguments of the second half of huemers book. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to. Michael huemer, the problem of political authority. On the limits of political authority restricted to a minimum. He claims that drug use is an exercise of ones natural rights. If youre tired of political books that merely preach to the choir, prepare to be amazed. Part i powerfully critiques the morality of state authority. The first part of the book argues in detail for philosophical anarchism and refutes the legitimacy of political authority, while the second addresses political anarchism and the practical viability. Huemer discusses the problems with political authority and the social contract i. Michael huemers challenge to the legitimacy of government. Michael huemer, the problem of political authority, molinari society group meeting, eastern apa, 122920. The theory holds that, at least in some countries, there is a contractual relationship between the government and its citizens. What makes it philosophically interesting is that it tries to do so by combining a philosophical critique of political authority with what huemer believes are.
Review of huemer, the problem of political authority. It is unjust for states to punish people without having a good reason to do so 2. In the exercise of governance, the terms authority and power sometimes are inaccurately used as synonyms. In the problem of political authority, michael huemer levels a mighty challenge to the idea of political authority and what could take place in its stead. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey palgrave macmillan 20, michael huemer explores this puzzling phenomenon, and defends the. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey kindle edition by huemer, michael. What makes it philosophically interesting is that it tries to do so by combining a philosophical critique of political authority with what huemer believes are common sense intuitions about morally permissible actions. Political authority is the phenomenon of manufacturing a system of social order where the land owning and property owning elite can rule with an iron rod from behind a cloak of socialism, of pseudo democracy, of offering choice initiated by them but not by the public.
Huemers central insight is that what political scientists call legitimacy, or what he calls political authority, is the most important stronghold that advocates of anarchocapitalism have to overcome in order to win the intellectual battle. Huemer shows that it is very difficult to justify political authority, especially in the form we have now in most western countries. America\u2019s unjust drug war americas unjust drug war. So early on, i noted kind of a puzzle about government versus regular people.
Using moral premises you probably already accept, and clear but subtle arguments, huemer leads you stepbystep to a radical yet compelling conclusion. Political sociology studies the relation between state and society, authority and power, and the methods used to formulate social policy. Review of michael huemers the problem of political. The problem of political authority the problem of political authority, says huemer sec. But the problem of coercion is a very serious one, and coercion should only be employed if there is really solid reason to justify it. Michael huemer on political authority justice and hedonism. And yet, through careful reasoning that relies on commonly held ethical intuitions, huemer pulls off a. How could a state have the moral authority to promulgate and enforce laws that citizens are thereby obliged to obey. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey.
Unbalanced growth or outward expansion of one neighbor may. The author discusses the problem of political authority in a common sens setting and how and why anarchocapitalism might be a better alternative. My main complaint about the problem of political authority is that its not long enough. The state does not have a good reason to punish people who do drugs 3. Authority is the legitimate power which one person or group possesses and practices over another. The first part of the book argues in detail for philosophical anarchism and refutes the legitimacy of political authority, while the second addresses political anarchism and the practical viability of. The problem of political authority is his best book yet. Premise 1 is just the prp, which has already been discussed. Hallucination and correctness by coincidence are problems that he needs to address more thoroughly. The problem of coping with re sistance then leads into the question of the role of coercive measures, including the use of physical force, and the relation of coercion to the volun tary and consensual aspects of power systems. Americas unjust drug war michael huemer should the recreational use of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, lsd, and. In 2012, the libertarian bookshelf was expanded by a number of notable academic works. In the essay americas unjust drug war by michael huemer, huemer goes over the realities and opinions around the topic on whether the leisure use of drugs should be banned by law. The state is often ascribed a special sort of authority, one that obliges citizens to obey.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. View notes americas unjust drug war from phil d001 at university of arkansas. The author goes on to discuss how voluntary and competitive institutions could provide the central goods for the sake of which the state is often deemed necessary, including law, protection from private criminals, and national security. If, like me, you think anarchocapitalism sounds ridiculous, this is the book for you. Isnt this a pretty basic intuitive supposition that is that the strongest would immediately cause chaos and people would suffer, and suffer greatly. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey, respectfully disagrees with just about every sentiment expressed in the preceding paragraph. The problem of political authority by huemer, michael ebook. But this happy state of affairs could not be expected to come about all at once. Michael huemer s 20 book the problem of political authority sets out to prove a radical conjecture.
Philosopher michael huemers new book, the problem of political authority. In my view, michael huemer s new the problem of political authority. An examination of the right to coerce and the duty to obey 20 by m. Michael huemer author of the problem of political authority.
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