Knowledge library

Articles for independent inquiry.

Shorter entry points into the questions explored across THY-REALITY. Browse by field or search directly by title and description.

TOPIC PATHFreedom and legitimacy35 articles on this path
Back to paths
The Right to Self-Defense and the State Monopoly on Force

The Right to Self-Defense and the State Monopoly on Force

Self-defense, the state monopoly on legitimate force, and institutional accountability are distinct questions. The Right to Self-Defense and the State Monopoly on Force asks when force can be justified and why authority is never a moral blank cheque.

Read article
Does Consent Legitimize Authority?

Does Consent Legitimize Authority?

Consent can change the moral relationship between people. But does living in a country, using public services, voting, or failing to emigrate really amount to consent to political authority?

Read article
Does Fairness Create a Duty to Obey?

Does Fairness Create a Duty to Obey?

Benefiting from a common system may create a moral obligation not to live at the expense of others. But does that also create a general duty to obey authority?

Read article
What Kind of Institution Deserves Our Support?

What Kind of Institution Deserves Our Support?

It is not enough to ask whether an institution is necessary. The deeper question is what it must be like to deserve our support: just, limited, accountable, close to people, and directed toward serving the community.

Read article
A traveller with a backpack looks across a valley of settlements, roads, rail and bridges, illustrating the real possibility of moving between different communities.

Mobility and migration between communities

The right to leave does not mean another option is actually reachable. This article separates movement, residence, membership, entry and migration, and tests what must be portable for mobility between communities to be real rather than merely formal.

Read article
A distributed network of communities, routes and resources with several independent nodes and no single control centre — symbolising measurable, functional decentralisation.

How Do We Measure Whether Decentralisation Is Real?

Decentralisation is not the number of municipalities, boards or providers. This article turns it into a measurable profile of decision authority, finance, ownership, data, supply routes, exit costs, redundancy and corrigibility of power.

Read article