Wolff Peace – John Austin & Audre Lorde

Power, obedience, and the poetry of resistance.

In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek explores the tension between legal authority and moral justice through the lens of 19th-century legal theorist John Austin and radical poet and activist Audre Lorde.

Austin’s theory of legal positivism defines law as the command of a sovereign backed by force—regardless of whether it is just. His focus on structure and obedience set the stage for modern legal systems but left little space for resistance or morality.

Enter Audre Lorde. With poetry, protest, and fearless truth-telling, she challenged not only unjust laws but the cultural norms that sustain them. Lorde rejected the separation of power from morality and insisted that real peace begins with liberation—for those silenced by race, gender, class, and sexuality.

This episode includes:

• A concise introduction to John Austin’s legal philosophy
• Audre Lorde’s challenge to systemic oppression and her vision of peace rooted in truth
• Two peace questions to guide reflection in both public and personal life

Visit aviskalfsbeek.com to learn more about the podcast, books, and upcoming episodes in the Wolff Peace series.

Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW

Robert Paul Wolff’s book Political Man and Social Man on Amazon (I am not an affiliate)