Enigma o spiegazione? Le due anime della servitù volontaria e un'ipotesi compatibilista

This article explores the conceptual and theoretical tensions inherent in the notion of voluntary servitude, as
formulated by Étienne de La Boétie. The Discours de la servitude volontaire is read through a dual lens: as an
enigmatic formulation of political submission freely chosen by the dominated, and as a text that simultaneously gestures
toward sociological and psychological explanations of obedience. The paper investigates whether a genuinely free will
can wilfully choose subjection against its own interests, and whether such a paradox can be retained without reducing it
to ideological distortion, unconscious drives, or rational calculation. The article critically examines various interpretive
frameworks, assessing their ability to preserve or dissolve the paradoxical nature of the concept. Finally, the author
proposes a compatibilist hypothesis: a theoretical framework in which voluntary servitude can be both determined by
social structures and retained as a meaningful expression of agency. This compatibilist approach seeks to overcome the
binary between enigma and explanation, enabling a more nuanced understanding of political subjection without
dismissing the role of individual volition.