The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 2: The Price of Peace: Why We Submit to Authority
The Untidy Business of Thinking: An Introduction to Philosophy 1 The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 1: The Three Questions that Define Existence 2 The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 2: The Price of Peace: Why We Submit to Authority 3 The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 3: Beyond Perception: The Battle Between Mind and Matter 4 The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 4: The Philosopher: A Terrible Explosive ← Series Home Key Takeaways Contract theory explains authority: The State's power arises from an agreement between individuals and the State, justified by voluntary consent. Hobbes feared lawlessness: The state of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short"—citizens accept sovereignty to escape chaos. The Hobbesian contract demands total sacrifice: Citizens surrender almost all power to the sovereign in exchange for protection and survival. Locke critiqued absolute authority: Granting total power means escaping minor dangers only to be devoured by unrestrained rulers. Authority rests on vulnerable desperation: Both order and freedom represent painful trade-offs in the social contract. The Untidy Business of Thinking - Part 2: The Price of Peace: Why We Submit to Authority ...