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How many millions have gazed upon the brutal horrors of history, with its countless
examples of man’s inhumanity to man, and wondered aloud how such things could
happen? The truth is, most people wouldn’t want to know how it happens, because they
themselves are religiously attached to the very belief that makes it possible. The vast
majority of suffering and injustice in the world, today and spanning back thousands of
years, can be directly attributed to a single idea. It is not greed or hatred, or any of the
other emotions or ideas that are usually blamed for the evils of society. Instead, most of
the violence, theft, assault and murder in the world is the result of a mere superstition – a
belief which, though almost universally held, runs contrary to all evidence and reason
(though, of course, those who hold the belief do not see it that way). The “punch line” of
this book is easy to express, albeit difficult for most people to accept, or even to calmly
and rationally contemplate:
The belief in “authority,” which includes all belief in “government,” is irrational and selfcontradictory;
it is contrary to civilization and morality, and constitutes the most
dangerous, destructive superstition that has ever existed. Rather than being a force for
order and justice, the belief in “authority” is the arch-enemy of humanity.
Of course, nearly everyone is raised to believe the exact opposite: that obedience to
“authority” is a virtue (at least in most cases), that respecting and complying with the
“laws” of “government” is what makes us civilized, and that disrespect for “authority”
leads only to chaos and violence. In fact, people have been so thoroughly trained to
associate obedience with “being good” that attacking the concept of “authority” will
sound, to most people, like suggesting that there is no such thing as right and wrong, no
need to abide by any standards of behavior, no need to have any morals at all. That is not
what is being advocated here – quite the opposite.
Indeed, the reason the myth of “authority” needs to be demolished is precisely because
there is such a thing as right and wrong, it does matter how people treat each other, and
people should always strive to live moral lives. Despite the constant authoritarian
propaganda claiming otherwise, having respect for “authority” and having respect for
humanity are mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed. The reason to have no
respect for the myth of “authority” is so that we can have respect for humanity and
justice.
There is a harsh contrast between what we are taught is the purpose of “authority” (to
create a peaceful, civilized society) and the real-world results of “authority” in action.
Flip through any history book and you will see that most of the injustice and destruction
that has occurred throughout the world was not the result of people “breaking the law,”
but rather the result of people obeying and enforcing the “laws” of various
“governments.” The evils that have been committed in spite of “authority” are trivial
compared to the evils that have been committed in the name of “authority.”
Nevertheless, children are still taught that peace and justice come from authoritarian
control and that, despite the flagrant evils committed by authoritarian regimes around the
world throughout history, they are still morally obligated to respect and obey the current
“government” of their own country, They are taught that “doing as you’re told” is
synonymous with being a good person, and that “playing by the rules” is synonymous
with doing the right thing. On the contrary, being a moral person requires taking on the
personal responsibility of judging right from wrong and following one’s own conscience,
the opposite of respecting and obeying “authority.”
The reason it is so important that people understand this fact is that the primary danger
posed by the myth of “authority” is to be found not in the minds of the controllers in
“government” but in the minds of those being controlled, One nasty individual who loves
to dominate others is a trivial threat to humanity unless a lot of other people view such
domination as legitimate because it is achieved via the “laws” of “government.” The
twisted mind of Adolf Hitler, by itself, posed little or no threat to humanity. It was the
millions of people who viewed Hitler as “authority,” and thus felt obligated to obey his
commands and carry out his orders, who actually caused the damage done by the Third
Reich. In other words, the problem is not that evil people believe in “authority”; the
problem is that basically good people believe in “authority,” and as a result, end up
advocating and even committing acts of aggression, injustice and oppression, even
murder.
The average statist (one who believes in “government”), while lamenting all the ways in
which “authority” has been used as a tool for evil, even in his own country, will still insist
that it is possible for “government” to be a force for good, and still imagine that
“authority” can and must provide the path to peace and justice.
People falsely assume that many of the useful and legitimate things that benefit human
society require the existence of “government.” It is good, for example, for people to
organize for mutual defense, to work together to achieve common goals, to find ways to
cooperate and get along peacefully, to come up with agreements and plans that better
allow human beings to exist and thrive in a mutually beneficial and non-violent state of
civilization, But that is not what “government” is. Despite the fact that “governments”
always claim to be acting on behalf of the people and the common good, the truth is that
“government,” by its very nature, is always in direct opposition to the interests of
mankind. “Authority” is not a noble idea that sometimes goes wrong, nor is it a basically
valid concept that is sometimes corrupted. From top to bottom, from start to finish, the
very concept of “authority” itself is antihuman and horribly destructive.
Of course, most people will find such an assertion hard to swallow. Isn’t government an
essential part of human society? Isn’t it the mechanism by which civilization is made
possible, because it forces us imperfect humans to behave in an orderly, peaceful
manner? Isn’t the enacting of common rules and laws what allows us to get along, to
settle disputes in a civilized manner, and to trade and otherwise interact in a fair, nonviolent
way? Haven’t we always heard that if not for the “rule of law” and a common
respect for “authority,” we would be no better than a bunch of stupid, violent beasts,
living in a state of perpetual conflict and chaos?
Yes, we have been told that. And no, none of it is true. But trying to disentangle our
minds from age-old lies, trying to distill the truth out of a jungle of deeply entrenched
falsehoods, can be exceedingly difficult, not to mention uncomfortable.
The Myth of Authority (Video Contest Winner)
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One only needs look at history; look at the ruins of Rome, Persia, Egypt among many others to know for a fact that government knows best is a lie of the first rank and order.