That's certainly true of books like "1984" and "Brave New World"; they detail the consequences of political authoritarianism and feckless hedonism.
Another danger is political authoritarianism, especially when combined with control of an unelected elite over any powerful state.
Liu Xiaobo is disgusted by the effect centuries of political authoritarianism has had on his people.
They live on in a parallel universe where political authoritarianism cannot be corrupted and where there is such a thing as institutional altruism.
According to Andrew O'Hagan many cultural commentators and academics look on Madonna as a heroic opponent of the American establishment's cultural and political authoritarianism.
Economies that have thrived under the apparently paradoxical combination of political and social authoritarianism and market freedoms are apparent: Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China.
Will China hit a ceiling on innovation because of its political authoritarianism?
However, Chiang presided over purges, political authoritarianism, and graft during his tenure in mainland China, and ruled throughout a period of imposed martial law.
But his drive to open up the economy while maintaining political authoritarianism is likely to dominate the two-week session.
One-Party Rule Persists Despite those changes, political authoritarianism remained.