Raz reading - Chapter 3 Flashcards
What is Raz’s central question in Chapter 3?
Q: What is the justification for political and legal authority?
A: Authority is justified when it helps individuals better comply with reasons that apply to them independently.
What is the Service Conception of Authority?
Q: What does Raz mean by the “service conception” of authority?
A: Legitimate authority exists to serve its subjects by helping them follow the right reasons more effectively than if they acted alone.
What is the Dependence Thesis?
Q: What does the Dependence Thesis state?
A: All authoritative directives should be based on reasons that already apply to the subjects independently.
Why is the Dependence Thesis important?
Q: Why must authority depend on independent reasons?
A: To ensure authority is not arbitrary and aligns with moral and practical truths.
What is the Normal Justification Thesis (NJT)?
Q: What is the key idea behind the NJT?
A: An authority is legitimate if subjects are more likely to comply with the right reasons by following it than by acting independently.
How does the (Normal justification thesis) NJT justify authority?
Q: Why does Raz argue that authority helps individuals comply better?
A: Authorities reduce errors, provide expertise, and resolve coordination problems (e.g., traffic laws).
What is the Pre-emption Thesis?
Q: How does the Pre-emption Thesis describe authority’s role in decision-making?
A: Authoritative directives do not just add another reason; they replace some independent reasons.
Why must authority be pre-emptive?
Q: What happens if people always weigh authoritative commands against personal judgment?
A: Authority would become ineffective, as individuals would selectively obey based on their own reasoning.
Does authority violate autonomy?
Q: Does Raz’s argument mean individuals “surrender” their judgment?
A: No—autonomy is not about making every decision alone, but about acting on the best available reasons (which authority can provide).
What if authority is unreliable?
Q: What if authorities make mistakes? Should we still follow them?
A: Occasional mistakes do not delegitimize authority, but if an authority consistently fails to track reasons, it loses legitimacy.
Does Raz’s theory apply equally to all authorities?
Q: Is the justification for political authority the same as for expertise (e.g., doctors, judges)?
A: Yes, but political authority is more complex because it involves coercion and collective decision-making.
When is authority legitimate?
Dependence: Authority must reflect independently justified reasons.
Justification: It must improve subjects’ ability to follow those reasons.
Pre-emption: Subjects must treat authoritative directives as binding, not just
