Political Authority in Sophocles' Antigone

In political philosophy, autonomy is a refusal to be ruled, and authority of the state is the right to rule, there is a conflict. If a man fulfills his obligation to autonomy, then he will go against the claim by the state to have authority over him. Wolf states, “He will deny that he has a duty to obey the laws of the state simply because they are the laws.” This is the major conflict with political authority. Some philosophers believe that a solution to this problem is the concept of democracy. This argument says that if men rule themselves then they would be both the law givers and followers, combining autonomy with authority.

The inherent right of a citizen to be civil is civil disobedience as this implies a great amount of individual discipline and sacrifice. To be civil means to be passive in form of protest, where refusal to obey the law is needed when the law goes against humanity and basic civil rights and freedoms. Civil disobedience in certain cases is a very effective tool for rejecting the unjust demands, laws and commands of a coercive power, and in many cases a strong method of peaceful protest. This concept is crucial when the people en mass form unity against their oppressors. Such resistance is usually for the greater good of society as it represents the discontent of a general population.

In asserting that citizens must surrender to the general will, Rousseau places far too much emphasis on the will of the political community. This emphasis on the will of the whole comes at the detriment of minority group interests. Moreover, the possibility that forcing citizens to be free actually promotes freedom is undermined by the concept’s propensity for oppression. Though forcing citizens to be free can be a means of maintaining order in a political community, it also entails significant dangerous implications.

When someone believes that they are being forced into following unjust laws they should stand up for what they believe in no matter the consequences because it is not just one individual they are protesting for they are protesting for the well-being of a nation. Thoreau says ?to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.? People should only let wrong and right be governed by what they believe not the people of the majority. The public should always stand for what is right, stand when they think a government is wrong, and trust in their moral beliefs.

Being Morally Justified in Disobeying Laws We Consider to be Immoral The answer to this question depends very much on our understanding and opinion on the status of the law. On this issue it is likely that everyone falls into one of two broad categories. People falling into the first of these categories would be those who consider that through social contract we are obliged to obey the law, whatever the law states and regardless of our opinion on the moral status of that law and that we are morally obliged to operate within the law. Furthermore by this way of thinking we can conclude that if the law binds us over to commit, what we consider to be an immoral act then we must be exempt from guilt as our morality dictates that we should obey the law regardless. Those who fall outside of this category would therefore believe that we are not bound over to obey the law and that in fact we should be morally obliged to disobey any law that we consider to be immoral.

She believes that no mortal, such as Creon, has the right to keep her from her own. Even if Antigone must die during the burial, she will not disgrace the laws of the gods. She believes that she has to please to dead before she pleases the living. Creon's states, "Whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing." (Antigone 203-204) Therefore, he does not allow the burial of Antigone's brother because he did not place the good of his country first.

As the King of Thebes, Kreon explains that he has the duty to protect the state. “I would not keep silent if I saw some doom instead of safety moving on the people of this town; nor would I ever count a man as my own friend who felt ill will towards this land” (185-188). Kreon emphasizes that his duty as King would not allow him to honor an enemy of the state or recognize that person as a friend. For the good of Thebes, he cannot allow anyone who has hatred towards to land be honored and recognized. When speaking to Antigone about her actions, King Kreon notes that he “loathes when someone caught performing evil wants to glorify the deed” (495-496).

Antigone serves as a threat to the status quo. She gives up her life out of her commitment to principles above human law—moral law. Creon believes that the laws created by the King must be obeyed no matter how big or small they are. Creon argues that the law created by the King is the platform for justice. On the other hand, Antigone feels that there are unjust laws, despite who made them.

Machiavelli puts clear and strict limits on acts of immorality in leadership. The use of immorality is only acceptable in order to achieve overall good for a government. Engaging in immorality for the sake of popular rule is justified because it is done to serve the people and the state successfully. Works Cited Machiavelli. Selected Political Writings.

For the sake of avoiding from the war, people construct the state. Duty of the state is -similar to Hobbes’s ideas- protecting individual’s life and properties. Of Spontaneous Moral Laws The root of the moral laws is inherent ... ... middle of paper ... ... everyone should make their decision by their own, otherwise it will be a dictate. Eventhough I definetely foresee the goodness of someone, for instance I might have a knowledge that that he hasn’t and would effect him, It wouldn’t be enough to direct his actions and life. I admit that everyone can’t make the best choises for themselves.