Society emerges from human cooperation.  Humans cooperate based on ideas.  Ideas are not an achievement by isolated individuals, such as Crusoe prior to Friday’s arrival.  Ideas can only succeed through cooperation.  They can’t be sustained under force.  Society doesn’t result from force, as utopians think.  Even with passive resignation, the majority must support the ideas of force for them to remain in place.

New ideas can emerge within society.  These ideas can replace the former.  These new ideas can transform society.  Action is directed by ideas.  Carrying out decrees you may disagree with is still guided by ideas.  Tacit consent is consent, whether you like it or not.  Only the ideas of freedom can transform the dystopia.  Society is a realization of ideas held.  It can be said, your ideas control your actions.

Your ideas have control over you.  However, actual force is directing another’s actions.  Directing another’s actions with ideas they disagree with.  Even if the ruler is issuing illogical ideas, the followers of the decrees must agree with these ideas.  Even if you believe these ideas are a mistake.  The ruler can influence action only through ideas.  It’s always a minority of men directing a large majority.

Ideas are not something that can be touched.  The leader must have the voluntary cooperation of some people.  Even a leader will need a group to subdue another group which is larger.  The leader can control this group through the ideas held.  The leader requires ideological support if he is to remain in control of that larger group.  A large population can only be controlled by violence for a short amount of time.  Ideological support is needed.

Everywhere, the leaders are only a small minority.  Ideological support is needed to subject the large population.  A tyrant must have support of the local population.  This obedience provides him with the apparatus he desires.  The tyrants’ power rest on the support of the population’s ideas.  In the long run, a small minority can’t keep a large majority in subjection.  The oppressed will eventually throw off the yoke if they don’t agree.

Reference

Ludwig von Mises; Human Action