yes the most violent usurp the authority -- I told you that before -- all authority is acquired by force and/or coercion -- just because vioilence was used does not make the authority illegitiamte because all land is conquered by violence and all laws forced on us.
To challenge and examine this view of authority, I wrote:
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Let's apply your statement to a scenario of you and I on some lost deserted island. How we got there is irrelevant, ship wreck, plane crash, alien kidnapping, whatever.
There's just you, I, the clothes on our backs, and whatever is provided by nature on that island.
I am a big guy and an asshole. I will tell you what to do and if you don't, I will hurt you. I have taken you and the island by conquest.
By your own words: "
I have authority over you whether you consent or not [ ]
I have more power than you have."
By your own words, my authority over you is legitimate - NOT bogus.
And by you defending the concept of your words, I must presume that you are okay with this.
Are you?
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That was a very long answer to say that those with might have rights.
And:
Yes if you were bigger and stronger than me and we were on a deserted Island, you would have authority over me until I kill you.
I will confess to misreading this. At first read it translated in my mind as "
Might makes Right" / "
Might makes Moral".
After I replied to your reply, I found this editorially added:
Am I ok with those who have the power and money controlling those who don't? Of course not -- but that is how reality works. THose with the weapons make the rules.
I didn't say anything about those with power and money.
What I did say is, “
There's just you, I, the clothes on our backs, and whatever is provided by nature on that island.”
I'm calling you on your attempt to change the subject to avoid what the question was actually meant to examine...
Your words, specifically and to wit:
all authority is acquired by force and/or coercion -- just because violence was used does not make the authority illegitimate because all land is conquered by violence and all laws forced on us.
Rephrasing because of avoidance of the question.
Are you okay with me having VALID authority over you gained by conquest and violence?
It's your own damn words that claims my authority over you is NOT BOGUS.
You wrote: "
you would have authority over me until I kill you."
By parsing, combining, and translating your various words, you have claimed that:
You would be willing to kill me to end my VALID authority and VALID rule over you.
This says much about your morality and beliefs. You stated that you are willing to commit murder to end authority that you claim is valid.
If this authority is valid, then why would you premeditate murder to end it? Perhaps you recognize that you did not consent to this authority over you and you actually recognize that this is BOGUS authority?
Or perhaps you've described yourself with your own words: “
yes the most violent usurp the authority”.
Or perhaps you believe "
Might makes Right" and "
Might makes Moral", twin concepts that I reject and dismiss unless you actually claim such belief, thus taking the discussion in another direction?
You previously agreed to this description of authority:
4. The person allegedly holding a position of superior authority is presumed to have a higher claim on a person in a position of subordinate authority.
5. This also includes a presumed higher claim on the subordinate's property.
At issue is, When is such a claim valid?
I have read the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy web page about and titled “Authority”. (
Link) I have found nothing to change my view, and in fact that page has helped me clarify my view.
I draw a line between one concept of authority and all the rest.
Authority by extortion on the one side, Authority by consent on the other.
Extortion is not authority.
Threat, duress, or coercion is not authority.
Do what we tell you to do or you will be hurt is not authority.
So STOP using authority as a euphemism for threat, duress, coercion, and extortion.