The hottest Legitimacy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics

The Real Threat to Democracy

Glenn Loury • 2241 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legitimacy
  1. The looming threat to democracy is the debate around disqualifying Trump from the 2024 election.
  2. There are concerns about fairness and legitimacy in the electoral process, especially post-2020 election.
  3. The importance of preserving the democratic foundation and having free and fair elections is emphasized.

The Amoralists

KERFUFFLE • 89 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Legitimacy
  1. Rulers can replace costly military occupation by creating a moral or religious system that makes people willingly obey, so subjects see submission as divinely right rather than coerced.
  2. When power is perceived as legitimate, control depends more on ideas and beliefs than on force, so political battles shift from armies to priests, philosophers, and demagogues.
  3. Legitimacy makes rule self-sustaining and expansionary because converted subjects will defend and spread the order, but it also makes power vulnerable to ideological attacks and requires continual intellectual work to maintain.

Authority

afternoon walk • 79 implied HN points • 06 May 24
🌍 World Politics Legitimacy
  1. States come to realize the limits of using force to maintain authority, eventually evolving to justify power through legitimacy and new bases such as crime prevention, food production, and dispute resolution.
  2. Theories of taming power in parliamentary systems involve internal coherence and control, with power flowing from the people to Parliament and the government being tamed by obeying Parliament's commands.
  3. India's adoption of a constitution in 1950 aimed to divide authority, secure rights, but struggles to fully embody these principles, resulting in a system that is centralized, disorganized, and sometimes brutal.

Mere Anarchy.

Trying to Understand the World • 7 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Legitimacy
  1. Extreme individualism and symbolic politics have eroded social bonds and public institutions, encouraging short‑term ego gratification over collective responsibility.
  2. Political elites have become a conformist, self‑protecting 'Party' that polices belief, refuses to persuade or address ordinary people's concerns, and so hollow out politics until outsiders and protest movements gain ground.
  3. As legitimacy and state capacity decline, governments risk being unable to contain mass unrest, leaving power vacuums that criminal groups, religious extremists, or hard‑right actors can fill and produce localized anarchy and instability.
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Violence and legitimacy: The assassination of Brian Thompson

Philosophy bear • 221 implied HN points • 07 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Legitimacy
  1. Brian Thompson, a health insurance CEO, was killed, and some people are actually happy about it. This shows how divided opinions can be about such events across different political views.
  2. The discussion around his death raises important ethical questions, especially about whether it's ever okay to celebrate someone's death. It's quite complex and can depend on the person's actions and their effects on others.
  3. There's a belief that the laws we follow might not always reflect true morality. Some argue that the actions of people in power can still cause harm, similar to outright violence, even if they're legally justified.

How a German Philosopher Predicted the War for D.O.G.E.

From the New World • 118 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legitimacy
  1. Carl Schmitt's ideas focus on the importance of political legitimacy and how decisions can bypass normal rules during emergencies. This shows how power can shift unexpectedly during crises.
  2. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how government agencies can act without typical oversight, leading to questions about their legitimacy and effectiveness. It highlighted the tension between authority and accountability.
  3. Efforts to improve government efficiency often run into existing bureaucratic processes that hinder progress. New ideas, like the proposed Department of Government Efficiency, face challenges from established norms and resistance to change.

Democratic Hubris

The Discourses • 19 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🌍 World Politics Legitimacy
  1. Democracy is often defended through the doctrine of popular sovereignty, but it can lead to hubris among Western peoples and leaders.
  2. Successful institutions balance competing interests and have effective mechanisms for realignment and stability.
  3. The shift towards unadulterated popular sovereignty in modern democracies can undermine the necessary undemocratic checks and balances that help maintain stability and prevent short-termism and populism.

The End of Democracy: "What I’m Describing is Military Rule"

Who is Robert Malone • 36 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legitimacy
  1. The discussion sheds light on the potential threat to free speech and democracy from the influence of the military and national security state.
  2. Efforts to control narratives and censor information are not just limited to previous eras, with modern censorship affecting freedom of speech without regard to accuracy.
  3. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of various entities like the government, tech platforms, and media in shaping public narratives and potentially restricting democratic freedoms.

The Dictatorship of Dysfunction

From the New World • 16 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Legitimacy
  1. Bureaucracies can become dysfunctional over time, leading to questions about a state's ability to function effectively. It's important for leaders at all levels to make decisions and act decisively.
  2. To improve government processes, we should move away from outdated methods like the waterfall hierarchy. Instead, adopting agile approaches that focus on user feedback can make a big difference.
  3. The relationship between state power and individual freedom is complicated. Understanding this tension can help us see why some political structures struggle to adapt and remain effective.

The United States Should Ban TikTok

Never Met a Science • 50 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legitimacy
  1. The United States should consider banning TikTok due to concerns about data privacy and national security.
  2. TikTok, like other social media platforms, may not be secure in handling user data, raising questions about their responsibility.
  3. Banning TikTok could be a strategic move against Chinese influence and may lead to more regional internet platforms.

Scorecard: Ranked Choice Voting

the best of a great lot • 0 implied HN points • 07 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legitimacy
  1. Rank Choice Voting may not significantly increase people's preference for their representative due to limited candidate options.
  2. More candidates running in Rank Choice Voting could potentially increase accountability for representatives.
  3. Rank Choice Voting has the potential to improve the legitimacy of governance by preventing spoiler candidates.