Tra emancipazione e autoritarismo. Chiarificazioni sulla categoria di servitù volontaria

The category of “voluntary servitude” (coined by Etienne de La Boetie) is a two-dimensional term for political theorists. Most commonly, militant thinkers use it as a freedom tool, as it deplores political obedience. On the other side, since it describes servitude as a voluntary condition, it can easily turn into an obstacle for emancipatory ambitions: how could you set slaves free, if they choose not to be? In this case, the term “voluntary servitude” can assume two different meanings: emancipatory (as it states that people could free themselves simply by wanting to), and authoritarian (in which slaves are willing to be slaves); and as a matter of fact, this second implication of the Discours has often been overlooked by philosophers. How should we deal with such an ambiguous concept? Reading La Boetie again is required first in order to fully understand all the implications embedded in the term “voluntary servitude”.