Date of Award
Spring 2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Wilson, Reilly, "The justification of authority : a response to Raz" (2013). Honors Theses. 5.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/5
Comments
The political project of Liberalism centers around the value of freedom within political societies. Specifically, the reconciliation of the value of free individual action with the necessity of political authorities that are seen as limiting that freedom. Attempts to resolve this supposed tension between subject and authority inevitably lead to questions regarding the exact relation of the individual to his government and usually result from the prior claim that "all men are created equal." Given such supposed equality, under what conditions can one individual acquire a right to shape the actions of another individual if all individuals are understood as being by nature free and equal? The acceptable scope of political authorities, the conditions under which their claims to obedience are justified, and the nature of individuals' right to freedom all receive extensive treatment by Liberal theorists.