Authority and (dis)obedience

At the center of political life as we know it is the state's claim to authority and demand for obedience. In this course, we explore philosophical questions relating to authority, obedience, and disobedience. The course is divided into three parts. In part one, we consider what authority is and examine the anarchist challenge to authority. In part two, we explore different theories which seek to justify the state's claim to authority and demand for obedience. In part three, we examine the case for disobedience and consider the relationship between disobedience and other important political concepts.