If a population consistently obeys the church's authority over scripture and poor relief without coercion, this widespread recognition is itself the criterion of legitimate authority.

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1 reason against

Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Voluntary sustained compliance reveals genuine consent better than any formal procedure, since people abandon false authorities when free to do so.
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2.Authority grounded in demonstrated social acceptance is more stable and responsive than authority imposed by external force or distant hierarchy.
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3.Populations possess practical wisdom about institutions serving their needs; their persistent trust signals genuine legitimacy better than theoretical criteria.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.Absence of overt coercion doesn't prove free choice; structural dependence, limited alternatives, and indoctrination can produce compliance without genuine consent.
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2.Popular acceptance can be morally illegitimate—widespread support for unjust authority (slavery, oppression) shouldn't make it legitimate by this standard.
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3.This criterion is unfalsifiable; any persistent authority can claim its persistence proves legitimacy, preventing meaningful critique of entrenched systems.
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Key Terms

Coercion(Kant's political philosophy; used to argue coercion is constitutive of rights, not merely instrumental.): A restriction of the freedom to pursue one's own ends.
Poor relief(another area where the church exercises authority): Help, aid, or resources given to people living in poverty.
Recognition(Kant's tripartite synthesis discussion in the A-Deduction): The cognitive act of identifying unified objects by finding how various represented elements are connected to one another through judgment
Scripture: # Scripture Scripture refers to sacred religious texts that followers believe contain divine wisdom or God's word. These are the foundational writings of religions—such as the Bible in Christianity and Judaism, the Quran in Islam, or the Vedas in Hinduism—that provide spiritual guidance, moral teachings, and instructions for how believers should live. Scriptures are typically memorized, studied deeply, and treated with great reverence within their religious communities.
authority(as another method a physician might use to ensure patients comply with treatment): The power or right to make decisions and have others follow them, based on expertise or position. A doctor has authority because of their medical knowledge.
criterion(as used in philosophy to describe a test for whether an idea works): A standard or rule used to decide whether something counts as true or valid.
legitimate authority(Normative theory of authority): A kind of entity capable of fulfilling a mediating role in practical reasoning, whose directives replace certain first-order reasons for action.

Connections

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Social Contract1 linked

Absence of overt coercion doesn't prove free choice; structural dependence, limi...Authority grounded in demonstrated social acceptance is more stable and responsi...De facto obedience is neither necessary nor sufficient for establishing the legi...Popular acceptance can be morally illegitimate—widespread support for unjust aut...

Details

Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit