Reference no: EM131633830

Wolff's Defence of Anarchism

1. Authority

a. sheer power

b. de facto authority: claims right to command

c. legitimate authority: actually has right to command

d. Legitimate authority: the right to command <-> the right to be obeyed

e. Analysis: conforming to vs obeying command

acting by virtue of independently good reasons

acting by virtue of the person's position

f. Descriptive vs Normative sense of legitimacy

2. Political philosophy:

-the task of:

3. Wolff's Assumption: legitimacy from compatibility with Moral Autonomy

-moral philosophy -> responsibility -> freedom of will (12)

-free will + reason => duty to take responsibility

-Moral autonomy:

-Authority vs Autonomy:

-authority:

-autonomy:

-Unanimous direct democracy solves problem

4. Representative Democracy?

a. Majoritarianism:

-what kind of justification needed?

b. Unanimous original contract justifying majority rule?

Objections:

1. is responsibility for actions same as autonomy?

2. is moral autonomy really the over-riding moral obligation?

2 critiques of Wolff:

1. moral autonomy vs. political freedom:

2. related issue: my actions affect others

-value of autonomy vs other values?

3. restricted / implausible understanding of autonomy?