
The Philosopher's Arms Morality and the Law
Aug 16, 2013
Keith Fyans, anarchist advocating community self-governance. Suzanne Karstedt, criminologist with empirical work on obedience and law-change effects. Massimo Renzo, philosopher on duty to obey, consent and civil disobedience. They debate why people follow laws, everyday rule-breaking, civil disobedience versus exemptions, and whether communities can replace state authority.
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Why Obeying Laws Depends On Legitimate Authority
- Political obligation hinges on whether the state legitimately has authority over us rather than mere habit of living inside it.
- Massimo Renzo traces this from Plato's Crito through Hobbes and Locke, highlighting tacit consent objections.
Landlady Confesses To Beneficial Lawbreaking
- Janie Godley describes running many pub lock-ins and covertly coaching abuse victims for court, knowingly flouting laws she saw as unjust.
- She says coaching victims in secret led to convictions, so she happily broke the law with gusto.
Autonomy Means Questioning Trivial Laws
- Moral autonomy can require disobeying trivial or harmful laws rather than following rules blindly.
- Massimo warns this risks fragmentation when individuals judge laws differently, creating potential conflict.



