Obedience. Resistance. The inner cost of doing what’s right. In this episode of Wolff Peace, host Avis Kalfsbeek explores the tension between obeying unjust laws and standing for justice. From Plato’s Crito, where Socrates chooses death over escape, to the early years of Aung San Suu Kyi’s nonviolent struggle in Myanmar, we reflect on what it means to remain true to your conscience—even when the consequences are great.

In this episode:

• Plato’s argument for lawful obedience and moral integrity
• Aung San Suu Kyi’s long house arrest and evolving legacy
• Two reflection questions for your inner and outer peace practice

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

Try my voice clone “Amaya Calm” on Eleven Labs for your audio book or other creative project: https://try.elevenlabs.io/peace

Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man: Amazon link

Missed an episode? This special recap journeys from John Locke to Friedrich Engels, linking each classic thinker to a peace warrior of our time. Perfect for catching up or diving in.

We take a reflective pause in our Wolff Peace series to look back on Part One of Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man: “The Individual and the State.”

Host Avis Kalfsbeek revisits the questions of political legitimacy, power, and moral resistance—and considers how the teachings of Hooker, Austin, Weber, Lenin, Locke, Hume, and Engels meet our present moment.

We also revisit the peace warriors who offered alternate models of strength—from Dorothy Day to Bayard Rustin—and ask what authority looks like when love leads.

In this episode:

• Reflections on seven core thinkers of Part One
• Peace Pairing highlights and their unique forms of moral authority
• Two big questions to carry into your own practice of peace

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

· Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike and The Red Kite by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez.

· Bandcamp | Spotify

· Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man on Amazon

What if class struggle met nonviolence? In this bold pairing, Friedrich Engels goes head-to-head with civil rights strategist Bayard Rustin to ask: Can we build a just world without bloodshed?

What is the origin of the state, and can it be peaceful? In this episode of the Wolff Peace series, host Avis Kalfsbeek examines Friedrich Engels’ theory that the state was born from class antagonism and is inherently a tool of oppression. Paired with Engels is the visionary civil rights strategist Bayard Rustin, who dedicated his life to building a nonviolent, inclusive movement for justice in America.

Together, their voices raise deep questions about the foundations of peace—whether it can be forged through revolutionary upheaval, or by building alliances within broken systems.

In this episode:

• Engels’ theory of the state as a tool of inequality
• Bayard Rustin’s model of principled nonviolence and intersectional activism
• Two reflection questions for your personal and political life

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

Music: Dalai Lama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez

Listen to more on Bandcamp or Spotify

Robert Paul Wolff’s Political Man and Social Man on Amazo