The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude

The first half of the book is a discourse ABOUT the actual book, which is more like an essay. Addresses the annoying question: Why do we submit to tyranny so easily, like sheep? Important question in this day and age. Something I wondered about since fourth grade, learning about the Nazis. How and why did the populace go along with it and allow it to happen? I'm not Jewish, but if it happened there and then, it could happen here and now. Maybe it already is.

The topic of the book is the behavior of humans to voluntary serve, even if it is to their disadvantage, when it would be in their power to throw off this servitude. The first part of the book heaps terms of derision on this phenomenon (p.44 "What monstrous vice, then, is this which does not even deserve to be called cowardice, a vice for which no term can be found vile enough, which nature herself disavows, and our tongues refuse to name?"), and the proceeds to mention heroes from ancient history who did throw off servitude. But the entire book does not give a single specific case, which could be analyzed. It assumes the phenomenon to be there, condemns the humans suffering from the phenomenon by many bad names, and then says that this is the base of tyranny: tyranny is not possible without the majority of people voluntarily serving the tyrant. This might be entirely true, but the book fails to give any evidence for it, or any deeper analysis. Instead it is full of polemical judgements (p. 76 "Who was ever [...] a greater simpleton than Claudius the Emperor"). As an analysis of a historical force, this is worthless. And that half of this short book (40 of 80 pages) is taken by Murray Rothbard's introduction does not make it any better.

Un ensayo del siglo 16 intitulado Discourse of Voluntary Servitude del jurista francés Étienne de La Boétie (1530-1563) discurre acerca de una cuestión que obsesiona a aquellos que aman la libertad: ¿Por qué los individuos obedecen leyes que son injustas?El Discourse ofrece una perspectiva. El mismo examina la psicología de aquellos que obedecen, la de aquellos que imparten las órdenes, y la de aquellos que se resisten a ellas. La Boétie estaba en particular, interesado en dilucidar porqué obedece la gente. Se preguntaba, "Si un tirano es un solo hombre y sus súbditos son muchos, ¿por qué consienten ellos su propia esclavitud?"La Boétie no consideraba que el estado gobernase principalmente a través de la fuerza. En principio, había muchos más esclavos que agentes del estado: incluso si un pequeño porcentaje del populacho se negaba a obedecer una ley, esa ley se volvía inaplicable. Además, la mayoría de los individuos obedecían sin que fuesen obligados a hacerlo. La Boétie desarrolló una explicación alternativa a la que denominó la "servidumbre voluntaria."La Boétie adquirió su prestigio sobre la base de un breve ensayo en el que sostenía que la tiranía es "derrotada de manera automática" cuando los individuos se rehúsan a consentir su propia esclavitud. Su argumento ha llevado a que muchos concluyeran que la resistencia no-violenta y la desobediencia civil son las mejores estrategias con las cuales oponerse al poder estatal.

Enjoyed this quick facsimile, but the number of printing errors made it painful at times.

This is story of every nation, every where in the world . We yearn to trade our freedom for a price and supposedly a little security. Universal Basic income and a vaccine is all we want to put up with our overlords!

Not a lengthy read, but remarkably relevant to modern times. It’s incredible how little the tactics of control have changed over the last 500 years. Highly recommend!

Simple, easy to read and understand. An excellent short book on how we allow tyranny to fester and take hold. After reading, understand even better the horror of "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help. " We hope for help and end up with tyranny and dictatorship.

Read it if you dare

This is a highly important essay on the subject of liberty. All the more so since it was written in the 16th century. It is an energetic and insightful work by Etienne de la Boetie who wrote it in his youth, before he later adopted a conformity to the culture of the time. It is a study of tyranny, but from the standpoint that men conspire in their own servitude. After all the tyrant is just one man, so requires the cooperation of the majority within his despotic rule. Although it was written around 500 years ago it remains highly relevant to the present day where the constant "war against terror" is used as a mechanism by the present elites to increase their own wealth and power year after year. Yet all the majority need to do is to call this bluff is to withdraw their consent, but of course never do. The system of exploitation continues and by doing so gives strong credibility to de la Boetie's central theme that men only too readily enter into their own voluntary servitude.

La Boetie's ideas should be explored by any intelligent person who wishes to understand all of the turmoil and dysfunction in human history, and indeed, what's going on with the Covid-19 phenomenon.. as referenced in our own recent publication: "CRISIS, CULL or COUP - What, How & Who: Facts & Truths to make you think!"

Unfortunately, the book itself is extremely poorly made; binding warped, paper not flat, and most annoying of all the front and back covers curl out a ridiculous amount - If purchasing for someone, a gift etc, spend a bit more for something better quality, but as a cheap paperback to stick in your pocket or bag it's perfectly serviceable - Addition: there was a spelling error on the first page, the proof reader didn't manage to spot 'In Pirnt'.

A fascinating insight to what is happening in our world today, a must read!

This wonderful little book was written nearly 500 years ago, yet it is thoroughly modern and addresses a major problem that still plagues us today, dictatorship. It's almost impossible to overstate how good and important this booklet is. In it the author gives a clear analysis of how dictatorship arises and even how it may be defeated. This is an extremely good and important book, and I urge you to buy it. I can't really offer higher praise than this. If you believe in democracy, this is a book for you.