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  • Morgan 9 The State Human Parasite

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    Spencer Morgan
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    Anthropologists generally agree that organized government as we know it was only possible after, and because of, this great surplus in wealth. This means that the state could only have arisen after such advances in human development because of its need to feed on that resulting surplus. The state is essentially parasitic, says spencer morgan.

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    Anthropologists generally agree that organized government as we know it was only possible after, and because of, this great surplus in wealth. This means that the state could only have arisen after such advances in human development because of its need to feed on that resulting surplus. The state is essentially parasitic, says spencer morgan.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    9 views2 pages

    Morgan 9 The State Human Parasite

    Uploaded by

    Spencer Morgan
    Anthropologists generally agree that organized government as we know it was only possible after, and because of, this great surplus in wealth. This means that the state could only have arisen after such advances in human development because of its need to feed on that resulting surplus. The state is essentially parasitic, says spencer morgan.

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    The State: Human Parasite

    bySpencerMorgan
    Inpreviouscolumns,wediscussedthewayexchangedependsonsubjectivedeterminationsofvalueby eachparty,andhowitrequireseachpartytoappealtotherationalassessmentoftheotherpartys selfinterest.Wehavediscussedatlengththephilosophicalpremisesofhumanrationality,selfownership andtheirinterpersonalethicalimplications,whicharerightsandtrade. Voluntarytradehasbeenakeyelementinthedevelopmentofwhatanthropologistsrefertoascivilization, asdistinguishedfrommoreprimitivesocietalmodels.Ashumansmovedawayfromhuntergatherer societies,tradeplayedakeyrole.Thedevelopmentofagriculturealsopromptedspecializationinvarious crops.Tradeisessentiallyawayofleveragingdiversityonasocietalscale.Itsourdiversitythatallows exchangebasedonthesedivergentdeterminationsofvalue. Ratherthanindependentlygrowingorgatheringeverythingforhisownbaresubsistenceexistence,manwas abletospecializeandcreategreatpersonalsurplusofanindividualstapleandthentradehisexcessforthe restofhiswantsandneeds.Specializationinaparticulargoodorcropallowedhumanstoleveragethe diversityoftheirabilities.Wealth,then,iseithertheincreaseinsurplusresourcesorreductionsofeffort requiredtosurviveandisbroughtaboutbyinnovationsintechnologyandthespecializationenabledby trade. Thegreatsurplusenabledbytradeandspecialization,asanthropologiststellus,wasanecessarychange forpermanentcitiescivilizationtodevelop.Italsopermittedaphenomenonthatcouldnotexistpriortosuch surplus:thestate.Amongallofthecompetingtheoriesabouttheprocessofearlystateformation, anthropologistsgenerallyagreethatorganizedgovernmentasweknowitwasonlypossibleafter,and becauseof,thisgreatsurplusinwealth.Thismeans(myownconclusion)thatthestateisessentially parasitic.Ratherthanbeingthecauseofsocietalcooperationanditsresultingprosperity,itisclearthatthe statecouldonlyhavearisenaftersuchadvancesinhumandevelopmentbecauseofitsneedtofeedonthat resultingsurplus.Wecanillustratethisbytheuseofaneconomist'sfavoritetool:thedesertislandanalogy. Supposethirteenpeoplecrashlandedonadesertisland.Afterallofthedrama,emotionalrecovery,and afterthatonepoorsapgetspredictablysuckedtohisbloodydoomintothestillturningjetengine,they settleinforafewweeksofscrapingoutsurvival.Afterexperiencingthedailygrindofindividuallygathering theirownfood,theystarttofindthattherearegreatvariationsintheirindividualabilities.Theydecideto cooperateandholdameetingtodetermineeachothersspecializedroles(no,Imnotadvocatingcentral planningofcareersherejustgowithmeontheanalogy).Aftertheskilledcarpenters,doctors,huntersand suchareidentified,twopeopleremain.Theyproposetothegroupthatthey,outofaneedfororderand regulation,aregoingtofilltheroleofcreatingandenforcingrulesfortherestofthegroup.Theyofferno specializedserviceorproductforwhichtheothersmightvoluntarilytrade,andyettheyproposethattheir roleofcontrollingtherestisnecessaryforstability.Theythereforeproposethattheirpersonalsurvival shouldbesupportedbytheexcesswealthoftheothers,andeven(ifdaringenough)mightproposethatthe othersalsofundtheenforcementoftheirrulesforcontrol(legislation).Letssaythattheythenalsopropose thatinordertoenforcetheirrules,theyrequireeveryonesagreementthatthey,andonlythey,bepermitted touseaggressiveforce. TheStateisthesetwoindividualsnow.Ourtwobenevolent,wouldbeparasiteswouldundoubtedlybeseen withgreatsuspicion.Anthropologistsaredividedonwhetherthefirststatesactuallyarosefromavoluntary agreementtosuchaconditionorwhethertheclaimsofsuchconsensusbasedonsupposednecessityare

    aretroactivejustificationforcontrolthatwasobtainedviaconquest.Withoutreachingaconclusiononthat ultimatequestion,wecanstillseethatthestatecurrentlyoperatesonlyonafictionofconsentandwithout specificandexpresscontractualempowermentfromtheindividualsexperiencingitsrulership. Thisexampleillustratesthebasicanddefiningnatureofthestate.Italsohelpsillustratehowthestate needsapreexistingsurplusresultingfromorganizedcooperation,aphenomenonforwhichitfrequently takescredit.Thestaterepresentsaverysophisticated,historicallyenduring,butincreasinglyapparentfraud bywhichafewhumanshavemanagedtoevadetheethicalrulesofrightsandtrade,whilesimultaneously feedingontheirresultingproductivity.

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