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If you are a person who truly believes in and accepts the authority of the state over you as morally legitimate, from whence do you believe the state receives that moral legitimacy and its lawful authority over you?
"The state receives its authority from my consent"
I would have added, The state receives its authority from the consent of the people.
However, in different historical periods the state derived its "authority" from all of the above choices, singularly or in combination with others. For example, during the period of absolute monarchy, the state through the king was granted "authority" through divine right, from god if you will. But quoting god never assured that a king and his head would remain attached to one another, so a King's authorities also required the consent of the people which was all too often granted by the point of a sharp blade.
In this representative republic, the states authority is derived by the consent of the people, certainly not by myself alone, but only in concert with my fellow citizens who in turn grant the state the power to enforce our will through force if need be.
All authority is given by the governed. Without the consent of the governed its only a matter of time until the public at large revolts against the authority that has been forced upon them.
The correct answer is, "None of the above." Here is why:
The state receives its authority from God. There's no such thing as a "divinely sanctioned" form of government on this earth. God can work within all forms of government, becuase God isn't about the Arm of the State.
The state receives its authority from my consent. No. The state receives its authority from the consent of the governed, by the people. But "people" is a plural term. It's not "my" consent but "our" consent. "My" consent is just tyranny.
The state receives its authority through force. Tyranny again.
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