Updates
This commit is contained in:
Joshua Seigler
commit
86faf63084
113 changed files with 9557 additions and 0 deletions
412
posts/authority-consents-blind-spot/index.html
Normal file
412
posts/authority-consents-blind-spot/index.html
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,412 @@
|
|||
<!DOCTYPE html>
|
||||
<html lang="en">
|
||||
<head>
|
||||
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
|
||||
<meta
|
||||
name="viewport"
|
||||
content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, viewport-fit=cover"
|
||||
/>
|
||||
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/site.css?v=b0813e810319" />
|
||||
<link
|
||||
rel="webmention"
|
||||
href="https://webmention.io/joshua.seigler.net/webmention"
|
||||
/>
|
||||
<title>Authority - Consent's Blind Spot - joshua.seigler.net</title>
|
||||
<meta
|
||||
name="description"
|
||||
content="Authority is the idea that certain people are justified in violating consent. This belief allows people to force others to do what they want with a clear conscience."
|
||||
/>
|
||||
<meta property="og:title" content="Authority - Consent's Blind Spot" />
|
||||
<meta property="og:type" content="" />
|
||||
<meta
|
||||
property="og:url"
|
||||
content="https://joshua.seigler.net/posts/authority-consents-blind-spot/"
|
||||
/>
|
||||
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Authority - Consent's Blind Spot" />
|
||||
<meta
|
||||
name="twitter:description"
|
||||
content="Authority is the idea that certain people are justified in violating consent. This belief allows people to force others to do what they want with a clear conscience."
|
||||
/>
|
||||
|
||||
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" />
|
||||
<meta name="generator" content="Eleventy v3.1.0" />
|
||||
<script
|
||||
defer
|
||||
src="https://stats.apps.seigler.net/script.js"
|
||||
data-website-id="ccb4bd94-2a71-47fe-8eea-d85bf75b7f6d"
|
||||
></script>
|
||||
<script defer src="/scripts/effects.js?v=cd61c39d895d"></script>
|
||||
</head>
|
||||
<body data-font="english" data-path="/posts/authority-consents-blind-spot/">
|
||||
<header>
|
||||
<nav>
|
||||
<div class="nav-row">
|
||||
<div class="nav-home"><a href="/">joshua.seigler.net</a></div>
|
||||
<div class="nav-settings">
|
||||
<div class="nav-toggles">
|
||||
<label class="nav-toggle-button" title="Light mode"
|
||||
>☀️<input type="radio" name="theme" value="light"
|
||||
/></label>
|
||||
<label class="nav-toggle-button" title="Automatic"
|
||||
>🔄<input type="radio" name="theme" value="auto"
|
||||
/></label>
|
||||
<label class="nav-toggle-button" title="Dark mode"
|
||||
>🌒<input type="radio" name="theme" value="dark"
|
||||
/></label>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<div class="nav-toggles">
|
||||
<label class="nav-toggle-button" data-language="english"
|
||||
>English<input type="radio" name="language" value="english"
|
||||
/></label>
|
||||
<label class="nav-toggle-button" data-language="aurebesh"
|
||||
>Aurebesh<input type="radio" name="language" value="aurebesh"
|
||||
/></label>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
<div class="nav-categories">
|
||||
<a class="nav-active" href="/posts/">/posts</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/about/">/about</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/now/">/now</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/uses/">/uses</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/recipes/">/recipes</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/music/">/music</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/books/">/books</a>
|
||||
<a class="" href="/search/">/search</a>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
</nav>
|
||||
<h1>Authority - Consent's Blind Spot</h1>
|
||||
<div class="header-meta">
|
||||
<author>Joshua Seigler</author><date>July 2, 2020</date>
|
||||
</div>
|
||||
</header>
|
||||
<main data-pagefind-body>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
2025 disclaimer: I haven’t thought through all these ideas in a while,
|
||||
but I probably would change some of this or soften/rephrase it.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Consent occurs when an individual voluntarily agrees to the proposal or
|
||||
desires of another. It comes from the concept that who should decide
|
||||
what happens to your person, is you.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
There are two ways people interact: with consent, and without it. Some
|
||||
people care a lot about consent, but overall, most take whichever route
|
||||
is easiest, or more convenient.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
People respect consent in most of their face-to-face dealings with
|
||||
others. Violating someone’s consent in person is usually met with
|
||||
resistance, possibly very strong resistance with a long-lasting impact.
|
||||
But there are covert ways to violate consent, so that the target must
|
||||
not notice the violation—or if they do notice, they must be unable to
|
||||
determine who is to blame.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Pretty much everyone has had circumstances where they did something
|
||||
because another person, or group of people, compelled their compliance.
|
||||
Classic examples include paying taxes, being drafted, and avoiding
|
||||
certain activities, beliefs, or substances.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Here are some popular excuses for violating consent that you may have
|
||||
seen:
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>I am actually helping you.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
You like some of the things I do, so you must accept this as well.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>Everyone else lets me do this.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>Everyone else said it was okay if I do this.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>I am doing this, but someone else is responsible for my actions.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>You agreed to this by being born here.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<blockquote>
|
||||
<p>I am allowed to do this.</p>
|
||||
</blockquote>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
That last one combines all the others into one argument, called
|
||||
authority. This is the idea that certain people are justified in
|
||||
violating consent. Usually there is a vaguely religious ceremony
|
||||
associated with the granting of authority—something like a holy
|
||||
document, large gatherings of people, formal outfits, or important
|
||||
sounding titles.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Sometimes consensual relationships are described as involving authority,
|
||||
such as a boss at work having “authority” over an employee—but the
|
||||
difference is clear: if the boss says to do something but the employee
|
||||
no longer consents, they could exit that relationship.<br />
|
||||
Sometimes people refer to an expert as an “authority” on a certain
|
||||
matter, but this definition is also not of use here. I refer to
|
||||
authority here as the ability to act upon another’s person, without
|
||||
regard for consent.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
One problem with authority is that all the people on earth are humans.
|
||||
There’s nobody better than humans who would obviously deserve special
|
||||
treatment, nor is there some obviously superior category of human, so
|
||||
people expect some excuse for how an ordinary person obtains authority.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
In certain belief systems, the excuse was “God chose me and made me
|
||||
worthy.” Contemporarily, the claim is based on “the will of the people”.
|
||||
Whoever wins a special regional popularity competition is considered to
|
||||
have authority over everyone in that region, even people who disagree.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
You would think acting on someone in a way they don’t allow is
|
||||
difficult, but people are impressed by ceremonies of authority, and they
|
||||
are confused by the way everyone involved claims that their actions are
|
||||
someone else’s responsibility. Even if people manage to see through the
|
||||
tricks they are usually still afraid to resist authority out of a belief
|
||||
that nobody will help them. So almost everyone obeys.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<h2 id="solutions" tabindex="-1">
|
||||
<a class="header-anchor" href="#solutions" aria-hidden="true"></a>
|
||||
Solutions
|
||||
</h2>
|
||||
<p>Once you have seen through this trick, what can you do?</p>
|
||||
<h3 id="look-for-ways-to-sidestep-authority-altogether." tabindex="-1">
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#look-for-ways-to-sidestep-authority-altogether."
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Look for ways to sidestep authority altogether.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Since very few people accept <em>absolute</em> authority, there are all
|
||||
kinds of limitations to its scope. If you can find ways to move your
|
||||
activities to areas of life that are not “covered” by authority, you
|
||||
will be able to ignore it more.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="https://theconsciousresistance.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/How_to_Opt_Out_of_the_Technocratic_State.pdf"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>How to Opt Out of the Technocratic State (PDF)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by Derrick Broze
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="http://www.kopubco.com/pdf/An_Agorist_Primer_by_SEK3.pdf"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>An Agorist Primer (PDF)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by Samuel Edward Konkin III
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.seasteading.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>The Seasteading Institute</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h3
|
||||
id="teach-other-people-how-to-see-these-tricks-more-clearly."
|
||||
tabindex="-1"
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#teach-other-people-how-to-see-these-tricks-more-clearly."
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Teach other people how to see these tricks more clearly.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
Relatively few people claim to have authority. If even a moderate
|
||||
fraction of people resist authoritarian demands, it becomes impossible
|
||||
to compel them all by force.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4jzSARXHuuwhBfzGNYhSVE4gJ8zmRnTH"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>Playlist: Thomasz Kaye Animations</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://fee.org/stories" target="_blank" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>Foundation for Economic Education</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h3 id="promote-alternatives-that-respect-consent." tabindex="-1">
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#promote-alternatives-that-respect-consent."
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Promote alternatives that respect consent.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
For every authority-based solution to a problem, there is a more
|
||||
effective consensual solution, and usually the consensual way of doing
|
||||
things is already being used somewhere, and has lower costs and better
|
||||
outcomes.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="http://daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>The Machinery of Freedom (PDF)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="http://daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom.prc"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>(Ebook)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTYkdEU_B4o"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>(Video)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by David D Friedman
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h3 id="use-the-ceremonies-of-authority-against-itself." tabindex="-1">
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#use-the-ceremonies-of-authority-against-itself."
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Use the ceremonies of authority against itself.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
If someone with authority asks your opinion on some topic, steer them
|
||||
away from choices that violate consent. It may even be appropriate to
|
||||
support people who seek positions of authority if you believe they will
|
||||
prevent it from being used, but don’t be surprised if their encounter
|
||||
with power changes their values.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://lp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>Libertarian Party</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h3
|
||||
id="surround-yourself-with-people-who-care-about-consent."
|
||||
tabindex="-1"
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#surround-yourself-with-people-who-care-about-consent."
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Surround yourself with people who care about consent.
|
||||
</h3>
|
||||
<p>
|
||||
If you know the people around you care about consent, then when someone
|
||||
claiming authority makes demands of the community, it will be much safer
|
||||
to ignore the demands since you would not be alone.
|
||||
</p>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a href="https://www.fsp.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>Free State Project</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
<h2 id="additional-resources" tabindex="-1">
|
||||
<a
|
||||
class="header-anchor"
|
||||
href="#additional-resources"
|
||||
aria-hidden="true"
|
||||
></a>
|
||||
Additional Resources
|
||||
</h2>
|
||||
<ul>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="https://spot.colorado.edu/~huemer/1.htm"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>The Problem of Political Authority (Chapter 1)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a href="https://amzn.to/2AyQxw0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>(Amazon)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by Michael Huemer
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="https://ia601208.us.archive.org/27/items/236222899TheMostDangerousSuperstitionLarkenRose2011/the-most-dangerous-superstition-larken-rose-20111.pdf"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>The Most Dangerous Superstitition (PDF)</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by Larken Rose
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
<li>
|
||||
<a
|
||||
href="http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html"
|
||||
target="_blank"
|
||||
rel="noopener"
|
||||
>The Law</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
by Frédéric Bastiat
|
||||
</li>
|
||||
</ul>
|
||||
|
||||
<script
|
||||
data-isso="//comments.apps.seigler.net/"
|
||||
src="//comments.apps.seigler.net/js/embed.min.js"
|
||||
></script>
|
||||
|
||||
<section id="isso-thread" data-title="">
|
||||
<noscript>Javascript needs to be activated to view comments.</noscript>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
</main>
|
||||
<footer>
|
||||
<section>
|
||||
© Joshua Seigler 2025. -
|
||||
<a href="https://github.com/seigler" rel="me noopener" target="_blank"
|
||||
>GitHub</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
-
|
||||
<a href="/feed.xml">RSS</a>
|
||||
-
|
||||
<a rel="me" href="mailto:joshua@seigler.net?subject=Hello">Contact</a>
|
||||
-
|
||||
<a href="/unoffice-hours/">Unoffice Hours</a>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
<section>
|
||||
Webrings:
|
||||
<strong>Unoffice Hours</strong>
|
||||
<a href="https://unofficehours.com/prev.html" rel="noopener">Prev</a>
|
||||
<a href="https://unofficehours.com/next.html" rel="noopener">Next</a>
|
||||
<a href="https://unofficehours.com/random.html" rel="noopener"
|
||||
>Random</a
|
||||
>
|
||||
<a href="https://unofficehours.com" rel="noopener">List</a>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
</footer>
|
||||
<div id="effects"></div>
|
||||
</body>
|
||||
</html>
|
||||
Loading…
Add table
Add a link
Reference in a new issue