Moribund Society and Anarchy · Chapter
VII: Authority explained
The chapter argues that authority, even when based on universal suffrage, is fundamentally oppressive.
What happens
The chapter argues that authority, even when based on universal suffrage, is fundamentally oppressive. It critiques the illusion of democratic representation, showing how majority rule actually empowers a mediocre minority and perpetuates class domination. The conclusion is that all government must be abolished.
Themes in this chapter
Negation of Authority
The chapter systematically rejects all forms of authority, including democratic majority rule, as inherently oppressive.
Critique of Reformism
Universal suffrage is portrayed as a sham that perpetuates class rule, not a genuine path to emancipation.
Individualism and Solidarity
The individual should not be subjected to any rule other than their own will, rejecting collective decision-making via majority.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Presents the anarchist critique of universal suffrage and authority.
- The Workman
Referenced as the worker who bears the cost of government without benefit.
- Their Masters
The bourgeoisie who use universal suffrage to maintain control.
- The Anarchists
Implied as the audience for the call to destroy government.
Key passages
“The voter is sovereign—so far as to be able to choose his master! But he has not the right to dispense with him; for the one that his neighbor will have chosen will be his.”
The voter's so-called sovereignty is limited to selecting a ruler, not escaping rule altogether, since the majority's choice binds everyone.
Highlights the illusory nature of democratic freedom.
“From the moment he deposits his ballot in the box he has signed his abdication; he has no more to do but bend to the caprices of the masters of his choice.”
Voting is an act of surrender, after which the voter must obey the elected officials.
Emphasizes the author's view that voting is a form of submission.
“What matters the choice of the hand that strikes you? It is not to be struck at all, that one should aim for!”
It is irrelevant who holds power; the goal should be to eliminate power altogether.
Summarizes the chapter's conclusion that all government must be abolished.