Good Example Of Argumentative Essay On Robert Paul Wolff

In his definitions, Wolff accurately describes the concepts of the state, politics, political philosophy, power, authority, and autonomy. Wolff considers the state as a group of individuals with the supreme moral authority over a specified population. He accurately differentiates authority from power, and in my opinion, I concur with the fact that the state has authority over the citizens. Authority refers to the moral right to rule. However, according to Wolff’s argument, which I also consent to it, man’s autonomy assumes that the individual members of the state have the responsibility for their actions. Therefore, members of the state refuse to be ruled – men are free.
According to Wolff, the conflict between moral right to be ruled or to submit to the authority results into anarchy. As opposed to chaos, which implies extreme disorder in the state, anarchy implies that, the state does not have the moral authority to enforce laws on the autonomous members of the state. I agree with the fact that the state cannot enforce its laws on the autonomous citizens since they are responsible for their actions. He provides a perfect solution to the conflicts between the state and the individual – the unanimous direct democracy. Even though I agree with his assertions that democratic voting provides the best governance of the state, I oppose his unanimity principle. Unanimous decisions do not practically occur in real world situations. The autonomy principle accords every member of the society independent view and political philosophies. Therefore, even though the majority might make major decisions, which, therefore, govern the behavior of the minority, these decisions are not unanimous. However, Wolff successfully defines the different interplaying factors in the political philosophy of the state. In my conclusion, I consider the interplay between autonomy and authority as the determinants of the systems of governance.