To keep it short the reason why some people are ok with authoritarianism is because most structures that we deal with on a daily basis are authoritarian.
Here is evidence that shows a significant amount of people are ok with authoritarianism:
This should be concerning.
And the thing is that it makes sense once you look at what are the most common systems that people interact with the most.
A clear example would be the Boss-Worker relationship. The boss creates a set of objectives/tasks for the worker and the worker sees them out. Rarely does the worker get the chance to set the higher level direction of what they are supposed to be doing with their time leaving them obedient to the boss and their demands.
Another example would be some Parent-Child relationships. Some parents treat their children as people that should show absolute respect towards them just because they are the parents not because they have something that is of value to the child (experience).
Even in the places where we do make democratic decisions those are usually made in ways that are supposed to be supplemental to authoritative decision making. An example would be how we don’t vote on decisions but instead how we vote on others to make decisions for us.
Once you add up all the experiences that someone has throughout their whole life you will see that most of them come into direct contact with authoritarian systems which means it makes that kind of way of thinking familiar and therefore acceptable.
Unlike democracy which is an abstract concept and something we only really experience from time to time.
If we want people to actually stop thinking authoritarianism is ok then we as a society are gonna have to stop using these kinds of systems / ways of thinking in our daily lives.
I agree with your sentiment, but disagree with your conclusion. We instead need to start having referendums on everything people think is worth one.
Edit: The downvotes and some of the comments on this comment are pretty ironic. Congrats fellas, you’re confirming what OP says is true: sometimes people are ok with authoritarianism.
For the record - this is the argument against democracy. And it’s not so bad!
Democracy can do horrific things! It is prone to mistakes with things that can be fear-mongered, where there’s a lot of money invested in grifting, and when the real reasons are sufficiently complicated that they don’t fit on signs (or nobody is interested in doing the work to put them on signs).
Democracy can do horrific things!
There exists a philosophical argument on whether democracy is a means to an end, or an end to a means. One could argue that, no matter the real outcome of a democracy, it is always the most moral for the people to have had a say in that outcome. A properly structured government needs to ensure adequate checks and balances are in place to minimize potential “negative” outcomes.
We instead need to start having referendums on everything people think is worth one.
For the sake of clarity, are you referring to direct democracy?
How do you propose this would fit in with, assumedly, the existing representative democracy? Are you proposing that direct democracy should replace representative democracy or that it should work alongside representative democracy? If you are proposing the latter, what form would you suggest that it should take?
Hmm. Could you explain your position more?
Edit: wait I just realized this could be sarcasm.
Not only are most structures authoritarian, but most of the loudest “democracies” are not.
If you’re American and championing for freedom and democracy, you’re a hypocrite. You live under an oligarch style of authorianism. Look at the very well done Princeton study that showed percent of population for or against a certain idea versus the percent probability a law in the favour of the populous would he passed. In an ideal democracy, representative by the people, if 25% want X, then it should have a 25% chance of passing. If 75% want Y, it should have a 75% chance of passing. A 1 to 1 linear relationship would be ideal democracy.
In the USA, the probability of passing a law is 30%. That doesn’t make sense, it’s not a function, it’s a value! I hear anyone with sense say. That’s because it isn’t a function. If you are 90% of the population by mostly wealth, what you want or don’t want has zero affect on the outcome of law. Not a little bit, or a relational amount. Zero. You have no voice.
If you are in the top 10%, you fare better. Once it gets to being popular, it has a good chance of passing. On the low end it’s about the same.
Authoritarianism is a label America pushes upon other governments that it can’t control as well. They just function for a different purpose.
I know most people here won’t understand it because the American propaganda is strong. But next time you’re alone with your thoughts, give it a think. How much of a voice do you really have? All these freedoms you supposedly have, do you really have them? Spoiler alert, you don’t.
I do agree to some level. It seems to create some internal ethical conflict in people. The arguments for why dictatorships are bad are not applied to companies and the other way around.
I always thought this was extra clear among right-“libertarians” who often seem to have a very hard time not arguing for an anti-democratic state.
The arguments for why dictatorships are bad are not applied to companies and the other way around.
Hm… I’m not sure I follow what one has to do with the other. Are you alluding to some sort of banana-republic-esque situation? Or just general anticompetitve/monopolistic behavior?
I always thought this was extra clear among right-“libertarians” who often seem to have a very hard time not arguing for an anti-democratic state.
For the sake of clarity, are you using quotes to reference some group who misappropriates the libertarian term? Or are you saying that the libertarian philosophy argues for an anti-democratic state?
Hm… I’m not sure I follow what one has to do with the other. Are you alluding to some sort of banana-republic-esque situation? Or just general anticompetitve/monopolistic behavior?
Just very generally. In a company there is generally no formalized structure to represent the opinion of the subjects in this case workers. Neither are there such structures in dictatorships.
For the sake of clarity, are you using quotes to reference some group who misappropriates the libertarian term? Or are you saying that the libertarian philosophy argues for an anti-democratic state?
I do not know what you mean when you say “libertarian philosophy”, since things like libertarian socialism has very little overlap with “libertarianism” of the right. And there are the quotes again. I just think the word does not really seem appropriate in describing the philosophy when all I have heard from individuals defending it only reflect over the liberty to opress, never the liberty from escaping that opression.
I’m just trying to make sure that I don’t make assumptions in your position, so please forgive my probing.
In a company there is generally no formalized structure to represent the opinion of the subjects in this case workers.
So, to be clear, when you allude to the idea of companies being dictatorial, you are only referring to the treatment of the workers employed by the company and not how consumers interact with companies?
I do not know what you mean when you say “libertarian philosophy”
I am specifically referring to the political science concept of “libertarianism” [Wikipedia has a good outline, or this Britannica defintion, etc.] — libertarianism’s primary interest is in maximizing individual liberties, and strongly upholding individual rights.
all I have heard from individuals defending it only reflect over the liberty to opress, never the liberty from escaping that opression
Imo, this is due to a misappropriation of the term — I think I know what sorts of factions that you are referring to, and I would agree that they are not following what libertarianism advocates. Libertarianism does not advocate for the oppression of others; individual rights, and freedoms are held as paramount — the oppression of another is to infringe on their rights, and liberties. I personally simply refrain from using the term “libertarian” when talking about those sorts of people, as it only tarnishes the public’s perception of what the philosophy actually advocates.
Unfamiliarity with the real deal, and the horrors it will bring. Combined with the belief that because you are the “in group” it will not be detrimental to you, only the “out group”.
You do something similar, by expanding the scope of authoritarian rule (that determines the direction of society at large) with small scale power relations which by themselves are governed (and limited) by society. There is plenty that is not allowed in the example relations you give by societal norms (laws/tradition/morals).
Combined with the belief that because you are the “in group” it will not be detrimental to you, only the “out group”.
Are you confusing authoritarianism with fascism?
Well yes and no. Fascism is a form of authoritarianism and if your leader controls stuff…
In my experience, the people who crave authoritarianism the most appear to understand it the least. This is both a cause and an effect of the authoritarian executive system when put into practice.
Most authoritarians struggle mightily to explain the rationale behind their own choices, even incredibly simple ones. They also display a genuine aversion to the very process of evidence-based critical thinking.
Thus the allure of authoritarianism is in justifying the release of it’s agents from the burdensome task of real, responsible decision-making. It’s not hard to understand when you consider how overwhelming the decision fatigue must be for those described above.
I think we need to add the consideration, that representative systems put the blame on people, when in fact their actual influence is extremely limited.
Oh you voted for party xy? Then it is your fault that they fucked the people over again. But come next election all the media and political propaganda is telling you how that is the only acceptable party and the other ones are all evil…
Oh you took on the student debt to take the education that you were told by all mainstream voices to be necessary for you to have a decent live, but the cost of living and your debt eat up a lot of your middle class income? Well how were you personally so stupid to do what society told everyone to do. It is all your personal fault!
We life in a capitalist oligarchic society that structurally takes away peoples participation opportunities and their freedoms while claiming to give them all the freedoms and blaming every result of an entrenched system on the individual.
I disagree with the claim that the people who prefer authoritative systems always lack critical thinking. If the actual influence you have is almost zero, alleviating yourself from the blame that is put onto you is perfectly rational.
