"All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than any political organization. For the latter makes use of violence, the former - of the corruption of the will"

Alexander Herzen draws a sharp distinction between the foundations of religious and political authority, focusing on how morality is constructed and maintained. He claims that religions establish morality not on reason or critical thinking, but on obedience, which he terms “voluntary slavery.” This is not mere physical subjugation, but a submission of the will, a surrender of personal judgment and autonomy. By aligning morality with obedience to a higher power or set of laws decreed by religious authority, individuals accept limitations on critical thought, often internalizing these constraints as inherent virtues.

Herzen argues that religions, by promoting this condition, have historically been even more harmful than political organizations. While governments may wield coercive power openly, using force, law, and violence to impose order or suppress dissent, this form of control is visible and thus can be recognized and resisted. The coercion is external, prompting open conflict or rebellion. Yet religious institutions manipulate the internal motivations and moral compass of individuals. Their control is internalized, as believers are taught to equate goodness with subservience, acceptance, and unquestioning faith. This “corruption of the will” means that people do not merely obey out of fear, but come to believe that obedience itself is the highest ethical good.

Such an approach stunts the development of independent moral reasoning. Moral maturity requires freedom to question and to base one’s actions on rational understanding and empathy, rather than simple conformity to dogma. By stifling this process, religions can instill guilt, foster intolerance, and perpetuate systems of domination more effectively than political structures, because they transform submission into a spiritual imperative. Herzen’s critique ultimately challenges the ethical legitimacy of any system, religious or otherwise, that demands obedience at the expense of personal autonomy and moral reflection, warning of the profound dangers embedded in the corruption of the will.