Prof. Michael Huemer will present a talk based on his book The Problem of Political Authority: An Examination of the Right to Coerce and the Duty to Obey. The central question is deceptively simple: what\, if anything\, gives a state the moral right to coerce its citizens&mdash\;and do citizens ever have a moral duty to obey the law?
\nHuemer critically examines familiar justifications for political authority&mdash\;such as social contract\, democratic legitimacy\, and appeals to public good&mdash\;and asks whether they actually succeed in grounding a special moral status for governments. If those arguments fail\, the implications are significant: coercive state power may require the same kind of justification we demand of individuals\, and obedience to law may be a matter of independent moral reasons rather than a standing duty owed to the state.
\nThe talk will be followed by Q&\;A and open discussion. Talk begins at noon Eastern time.
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