# Principles Before Personalities — on Freedom ![rw-book-cover](https://wsrv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstackcdn.com%2Ffeed%2Fpodcast%2F1711814%2F44bf13441f1fd342e2bfe4f0f86067cb.jpg&w=100&h=100) URL:: https://share.snipd.com/episode/721247e4-c6d6-49d9-ad65-86ec938e696b Author:: Fucking Cancelled ## AI-Generated Summary None ## Highlights > Challenging Power and Illegitimate Authority > Summary: > The insight emphasizes the alignment with the anarchist belief that one must challenge power and illegitimate authority as they do not deserve obedience. > It suggests a moral obligation to oppose such authority, a concept attributed to Chomsky. The speaker recalls resonating with this idea early in life, possibly at the age of 15 or 16. > Transcript: > Speaker 1 > The align with the anarchist saying or the anarchist sort of axiom that you have to challenge power and that illegitimate authority doesn't need to be listened to. And in fact, you somewhat have a moral duty to oppose it. Yeah. And I really think that that when I first, you know, heard that I think it's like a Chomsky thing. Yeah. I think Chomsky is formulated it that way most famously. And when I first heard that when I was like 15 or 16, you know, I was like, it resonated so clearly with me, you know. ([Time 0:12:09](https://share.snipd.com/snip/722ee202-d52e-40ff-899b-296a90674db8)) > Legitimate Authority Based on Skill and Moral Justification > Summary: > Legitimate authority should be based on skills and moral justification rather than physical strength, possession of weapons, or control of capital. > Anarchists argue that just claiming authority does not make one a legitimate boss. > Transcript: > Speaker 1 > It's like that person like clearly knows how to fix a shoe. Therefore, he should be in charge of shoe fixing for the type being, you know. Yeah. As opposed to people just sort of being like, well, I'm bigger and stronger than you or I have a gun and you don't or I control capital and you don't control capital. These are sort of examples of illegitimate authority where it's like there's no particular like skill or like moral justification for like what you're doing. It's literally just that you're like stronger and that you are in a position of authority. You have power. You have power. And anarchists have always been like, well, just because you say that you should be the boss of me, it doesn't mean that you're the boss of me. ([Time 0:13:18](https://share.snipd.com/snip/961ba3bd-2349-43d3-9fd4-dd0842c4c7ce)) ## New highlights added February 29, 2024 at 4:14 PM > Episode AI notes > 1. The alignment with anarchist belief emphasizes challenging power and illegitimate authority, reflecting a moral obligation to oppose such authority, as noted by Chomsky. > 2. Legitimate authority should be grounded in skills and moral justification, not in physical strength, possession of weapons, or control of capital, as anarchists argue that just claiming authority does not make one a legitimate boss. ([Time 0:00:00](https://share.snipd.com/episode-takeaways/ca3636bf-5d1e-4756-ba25-d474e6cd816b))