The Big Idea
This manifesto argues that individuals should not allow governments to overrule their moral compass, especially when that government perpetuates slavery or conducts wars. A standing government is merely a tool, and often an inexpedient one, that requires the active participation of its citizens to function. By withholding taxes and refusing to support state-sanctioned injustice, a person asserts their own sovereignty. The author suggests that true freedom begins when an individual withdraws their allegiance from a corrupt machine, treating the state as an optional neighbor rather than a master. Real justice requires the government to recognize that its authority originates solely from the consent of the autonomous, responsible individual.
Who's named
- State
A corrupt machine whose power depends on citizen participation
- Chinese philosopher
A thinker who saw the individual as the empire's basis
What it's really about
- Conscience
- The final arbiter of individual action.
- Individualism
- The superior power to government authority.
Why it's memorable
- A neighbor whose backbone is so sturdy you cannot pass your hand through it.
- A man getting out of jail and immediately going huckleberry picking.
What it concludes
A truly enlightened state will only exist when it treats the individual as a higher power, allowing those who wish to live aloof to do so in peace.
For your book club
- Is a tax protest a moral victory or mere shirking?
- Can a government be just while ignoring individual dissent?