Extract
[...] Schopenhauer explains that the response to this request "would most often be a laugh of contempt". Thus, the philosopher reveals a form of disdain towards these moral values and the idea of abandoning oneself for the benefit of others. This thought experiment then reveals in a concrete way the impotence of moral values and leads Schopenhauer to turn back to his initial idea, that force is necessary to govern; he then explains to us how it should be used. At this stage, the author has therefore explained why physical force was necessary but not explicitly explained how it should be done. [...]
[...] Parerga et Paralipomena - Arthur Schopenhauer (1851) - Can we really consider that law suffices to itself? - Bac white of Philosophy Subject Text Explanation With recent killings caused by the American immigration police, the question of arming law enforcement forces has resurfaced in political debates. Many people now support the idea that the police, as a representative figure of state authority, should be able to fulfill its mission -which is to enforce laws- without resorting to coercive means. However, can we really consider that law is sufficient on its own? [...]
[...] To formulate this differently, the author expresses the idea that physical force is the only form of force that allows one to be respected; he opposes it to the moral forces put forward earlier. However, Schopenhauer nuances his statement. In fact, he explains that this force is, at its origin, "associated with ignorance, injustice and stupidity". In other words, the means of physical constraint seem to be a non-reflected reaction to a situation; the author therefore seems to present force as a primitive and natural reaction. Nevertheless, he continues his argument by explaining that "the first task of the art of governing is to subject physical force to intelligence, to intellectual superiority". [...]
[...] Even before trying to understand this phrase as a whole, it seems essential to define the term "law". Here, it appears that Schopenhauer is referring to justice and the use of laws. In other words, the author explains that law is ineffective, inoperative as such. He then adds that "by nature, force reigns"; here, it seems fair to understand that Schopenhauer considers that in the state of nature, in the most primitive form of Man, what counts as supreme authority is force, in other words, the means of coercion, physical constraint. [...]
[...] Similarly, Schopenhauer legitimates the use of force by the State, since it allows it to maintain peace and tranquility among Men. This is what he explains at the beginning of the second paragraph, saying that there is "only physical force that can have an immediate effect". Here, the author not only legitimates the use of force, but goes so far as to place it as the only ("there is only") way to obtain a result. Schopenhauer supports his argument by specifying that "it is by it alone that men are impressed", in other words, the means of coercion are the only means of constraining Men, the only thing that can make them yield. [...]
