Etienne de La Boétie

Étienne de La Boétie was a 16th-century French philosopher and political thinker best known for his work "Discourse on Voluntary Servitude." He argued that tyranny and oppression depend on the consent of the people, asserting that citizens often willingly submit to rulers out of habit, fear, or complacency. La Boétie believed that true power rests with the populace and that rulers maintain authority only as long as people allow it. His ideas emphasize the importance of individual and collective voluntary action to resist unjust authority and promote freedom.