Voluntary Insubmission: Tyranny, servitude, and freedom in La Boetie

In times of authoritarian escalation around the globe, in which the autocratic structures that surround us sometimes seem too colossal, it can be beneficial to mobilize authors capable of offering not only ways of coping with tyranny, but ways that are within the reach of the individual. Etienne de La Boetie's "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude", I believe, falls within this perspective. Among other things, it provides powerful tools to face tyranny, taking as a starting point the tyrannized ones, the individuals themselves. In this sense, by examining the notions of tyranny, servitude and freedom, the present article wishes to explore this interpretation of La Boetie's work.