''The Problem of Political Authority: An Examination of the Right to Coerce and the Duty to Obey'' is a book by

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

philosophy professor

Michael Huemer Michael Huemer (; born 27 December 1969) is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has defended ethical intuitionism, direct realism, libertarianism, veganism, and philosophical anarchism. Education and career H ...

released in January 2013. The first part of the book argues in detail for Huemer's interpretation of philosophical anarchism and argues against the legitimacy of

political authority In political philosophy and ethics, political authority describes any of the moral principles legitimizing differences between individuals' rights and duties by virtue of their relationship with the state. Political authority grants members ...

, while the second addresses political anarchism and the practical viability of

anarcho-capitalism Anarcho-capitalism (or, colloquially, ancap) is an anti-statist, libertarian, and anti-political philosophy and economic theory that seeks to abolish centralized states in favor of stateless societies with systems of private property en ...

History and promotion

In April 2011, while he was still writing the book (then titled ''Freedom and Authority''), Huemer was profiled by the ''Arts and Sciences Magazine'' of the

University of Colorado, Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado s ...

. The profile quoted Huemer as saying that political authority is "a moral illusion we’re suffering from." In May 2012, a few months prior to the publication of the book, Huemer defended the argument of the book in a video.

Reception

Ole Martin Moen of the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

, reviewed the book in '' Philosophical Quarterly''. Moen concluded his review by writing: "In addition to being a solid scholarly work, Huemer’s book will work well as assigned reading in classes on political philosophy. It is bound to spark debate, and its inclusion would help remedy the sad fact that anarchism is often either ignored or put aside without serious engagement. This is a pity, for even if one rejects his conclusions, Huemer makes it clear that anarchism is a sophisticated theory that deserves careful consideration." The book has also been reviewed in ''

Ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

'' by George Klosko,

Mind The mind is the set of faculties responsible for all mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation. They are responsible for various m ...

by Daniel Viehoff, and ''Le Québécois Libre'' by Bradley Doucet.

Related books by others

* ''

The Machinery of Freedom ''The Machinery of Freedom'' is a nonfiction book by David D. Friedman that advocates an anarcho-capitalist society from a consequentialist perspective. The book was published in 1973, with a second edition in 1989 and a third edition in 2014. ...

'' by David D. Friedman lays out the groundwork of the vision of an anarcho-capitalist society that Huemer builds on in Part II. Tomasz Kaye, the creator of the ''George Ought to Help'' video series, argued that Huemer's treatment of the subject was superior to that of Friedman. * ''

For a New Liberty ''For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto'' (1973; second edition 1978; third edition 1985) is a book by American economist and historian Murray Rothbard, in which the author promotes anarcho-capitalism. The work has been credited as an infl ...

'' by

Murray Rothbard Murray Newton Rothbard (; March 2, 1926 – January 7, 1995) was an American economist of the Austrian School, economic historian, political theorist, and activist. Rothbard was a central figure in the 20th-century American libertarian ...

provides (along with Friedman's work) much of the basis for Chapter 10's discussion of "Individual Security in a Stateless Society". *
Chaos Theory
' by

Robert P. Murphy Robert Patrick Murphy (born May 23, 1976) is an American economist. Murphy is Research Assistant Professor with the Free Market Institute at Texas Tech University. He has been affiliated with Laffer Associates, the Pacific Research Institute, ...

. Kaye said that Huemer's book was superior to ''Chaos Theory''. * ''Order Without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes'' by Robert C. Ellickson. * '' Libertarian Anarchy: Against the State'' by Gerard Casey (philosopher).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Problem of Political Authority, The 2013 non-fiction books Books about anarchism Palgrave Macmillan books Philosophy books Anarcho-capitalist books