8 Matching Annotations
  1. Jan 2022
  2. learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com
    LaBoétie 2
    8
    1. louisvanthof 21 Jan 2022
      Let us therefore learn while there is yet time, let us learn to do good. Let us raise our eyes to Heaven for the sake of our honor, for the very love of virtue, or, to speak wisely, for the love and praise of God Almighty, who is the infallible witness of our deeds and the just judge of our faults.As for me, I truly believe I am right, since there is nothing so contrary to a generous and loving God as tyranny—I believe He has reserved, in a separate spot in Hell, some very special punishment tor tyrants and their accomplices.

      I'm curious on how the concept of divine rule would've changed La Boétie's views of tyranny and absolute rule?

    2. louisvanthof 21 Jan 2022
      Such men must not only obey orders; they must anticipate his wishes; to satisfy him they must foresee his desires; they must wear themselves out, torment themselves, kill themselves with work in his interest, and accept his pleasure as their own, neglecting their preference for his, distorting their character and corrupting their nature; they must pay heed to his words, to his intonation, to his gestures, and to his glance.

      Is La Boétie describing his view of servitude/enslavement?

    3. louisvanthof 21 Jan 2022
      It is not the troops on horseback, it is not the companies afoot, it is not arms that defend the tyrant

      So who defends the tyrant then? I believe La Boétie is trying to argue that tyrants are weak, and perhaps inspire people.

    4. louisvanthof 18 Jan 2022
      method of ruling is practically the same; those who are elected act as if they were breaking in bullocks; those who are conquerors make the people their prey; those who are heirs plan to treat them as if they were their natural slaves.

      In La Boetie's view, the monarchical system as a whole is injustice, not just individual Kings. He leaves no room in his theory for there to be good hearted Kings who are liked and rule well.

    5. louisvanthof 18 Jan 2022
      But if not one thing is yielded to them, if, without any violence they are simply not obeyed, they become naked and undone and as nothing, just as, when the root receives no nourishment, the branch withers and dies.

      This constant idea being proposed that a ruler is only as powerful as the people yield to him seems impractically theoretical. I can't imagine any scenarios actually occurring where a ruler is simply stripped of all his power from common people not listening.

    6. louisvanthof 18 Jan 2022
      hose who anticipate as a reward for their suffering the maintenance of their freedom, or those who cannot expect any other prize for the blows exchanged than the enslavement of others?

      This hypothetical and somewhat metaphoric question reminds me of the American civil war, a much more literal example of one group fighting for freedom, in this case slaves in the South. The Union fighting for the freedom of slaves defeated the Confederacy fighting to maintain the enslavement of others, providing an answer to Boétie's question.

    7. louisvanthof 18 Jan 2022
      single little man

      Boétie is repeatedly emphasizing to the reader the natural equality of humans, and deconstructing the superiority complex often present in Monarchies.

    8. louisvanthof 18 Jan 2022
      Our nature is such that the common duties of human relationship occupy a great part of the course of our life

      This comment says that a large part of human nature is doing stuff for the public good and humankind as a whole. I disagree with this, and I think it presents a flaw in Boétie's argument. This optimistic opinion of human nature will influence the argument to follow on why humans have subjected themselves to monarchy.

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