The Right Of Autonomy :: essays research papers

The Right of AutonomyPolitical philosophy is the philosophy of the state. A state is agroup of people who have supreme authority within a given territory or over a received population, according to Wolf. Authority then, is the right to commandand the right to be obeyed which is different from power. Power in Wolffs terms,is the ability to compel compliance. Moral autonomy is a conformation to lawswhich one has made for oneself. Wolf believes that there is a problem betweenauthority and autonomy. Autonomy overrides the importance of authority. Healso thinks that classical democracy fails to be a solution to this problem.An autonomous person is not subject to the will of another. This isthought to be the primary obligation of man. In political philosophy, autonomyis a refusal to be ruled, and authority of the state is the right to rule, thereis a conflict. If a man fulfills his obligation to autonomy, then he will goagainst the claim by the state to have authority over him. Wolf stat es, Hewill deny that he has a duty to obey the laws of the state simply because theyargon the laws. This is the major conflict with political authority. Somephilosophers believe that a solution to this problem is the concept ofdemocracy.This argument says that if men rule themselves then they would be both(prenominal)the law givers and followers, combining autonomy with authority. Hisobligation to submit to the laws stems not from the divine right of the monarch,nor from the hereditary authority of a noble class, but from the fact that hehimself is the source of the laws which govern him.Wolf doesnt think that it fully solves the problem between authorityand autonomy. A unanimous direct democracy is the closest to resolving theconflict, even in only exists in theory. Representative democracy seems to solvethe problems of unanimous direct democracy, but it too, has its problems. Itsproblems lie in the fact that it is incredibly difficult for everyone to betruly represented. If one is not, then their autonomy is sacrificed. Anotherpossible democratic solution is majoritarian democracy. The problem with thiscomes with those people who are in the minority. The minority voice is hold intheir autonomy because they are obeying something that they do not will. HereWolf again shows democracy fails to solve the problem between authority and