The Politics of Obedience, Etienne de la Botie
The Politics of Obedience, Etienne de la Botie
List: $3.99 | Sale: $2.80
Club: $1.99

The Politics of Obedience
A Discourse on Voluntary Servitude

Author: Etienne de la Botie

Narrator: Bootsy Greenwood

Unabridged: 1 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/26/2022


Synopsis

In this seminal work of political philosophy, Boetie asks one of the most obvious questions of political theory: why is it that a minority of rulers can remain in power over a majority of subjects who pay all the taxes?
The answer might be quite surprising to us all. The conclusion is that the people tend to enslave themselves, to let themselves be governed by tyrants.
Liberty is the natural condition of the people. Servitude, however, is fostered when people are raised in subjection. People are trained to adore rulers. While freedom is forgotten by many, there are always some who will never submit.
What is the answer then?
The author brilliantly and obviously outlines these points in the pages that follow in a way that is illuminating and also simple. It is we who enslave ourselves at the beck and call of 'authority'. Enjoy this classic work that roots sovereignty into philosophy and demonstrates how simply the tides can change.

Reviews

Goodreads review by فايز غازي on July 14, 2023

- منذ بداية الخطاب او التحليل الذي يقوم به "إتيان" يضع يده على قلب المشكلة ص12 "ان موافقة المسترقين لا قوة الطاغية هي التي تؤسس الطغيان" "إتيان" يعتبر ان الإنسان بطبعه يعشق الحرية، لكنه قد يتطبع بالعبودية ص54 "ان طبيعة الإنسان ان يكون حراً وان يرغب في ان يكون حراً، غير ان من طبيعته ايضاً ان يتطبع بما......more

Goodreads review by Philippe on February 11, 2016

Proust takes me many time but I try to read other books. I wanted to re reread Montaigne but I begin by it. Short text but genius. "À vrai dire, il est bien inutile de se demander si la liberté est naturelle, puisqu’on ne peut tenir aucun être en servitude sans lui faire tort : il n’y a rien au monde......more