False Burdens of Voluntaryism: The Utopian Presumption

bySpencerMorgan
InthisweekscolumnIdliketoaddressthecriticismthatanarchism(voluntaryism)impliesorrequiresa Utopianoroverlyoptimisticviewofmansnatureandtendencies. Toanextent,thisisavariationofthefallacywelaidtorestlastweek...theutilitarianburdenofanarchism.It presupposesanoverallutilitariannetanalysis,andcalculationofcollectivegoodasabstractedapartfrom thegoodforanyspecificindividual(theonlydeterminationofgoodwhichcanreallybeheldasoperative andassessableinanygivensituation). Thisvariationholdsthatbecauseanarchismmustbepresupposingsuchanetanalysis,andthatoverall conditionswouldbeanimprovedorperfectsocietyofindividualsgoverningeachotherwithoutharmingone another,thatanarchismthusfailsinlightofanydemonstrationofhumansbehavingcoercivelyorharmfully tooneanother.Thisfalseburdenshouldberejected,insteadofacceptedinalineofdiscussionthatmight beintendedtodemonstratethemanywaysinwhichpeopledoinfactcooperatepeacefully. WhatisAnarchism? Wehavetorememberwhatanarchismis,atitscore.Itisntalloftheleftistbaggagethatgottackedonto anarchismthroughacoupleofcenturiesofitsbeingextolledprimarilybyantipropertysocialistanarchists. Itisn'tamanagerialcounterplanforallofsocietytobepluggedinandswitchedonviaalreadyexisting,and apresumptivelyoperativeapparatusforrule.Initsstrictest,definitivesense,anarchismisnotasystematic philosophy,butasingularconclusionaboutgovernment.Itisnothingmore,norless,thantheconclusion thatthestateismorallyinvalidandthateveryinstanceofitsoperationthereforewarrantsreduction.That conclusionhasbeenreachedfromavarietyofethicalfoundations,thatareoftencompletelycontradictory. TheanarchismforwhichIargue,andanarchocapitalismandvoluntaryismasIunderstandthem,contend thisonthebasisofthenonaggressionprinciple.Thereforeanarchisminthiscontextmeansnothingmore thantheideathatusingaggressionagainstrightstoaccomplishsomethingiswrong,andthusgovernment must,formoralreasons,beoffthetableasanoptionforaccomplishinganything. AnarchismasNonUtopianism PartoftheUtopiancriticismcomesfromafailureinunderstandingwhatastatelesssociety"wouldbe, andwhatisbeingassertedasattainableatthesocietallevelbyananarchist.Anarchismisn'ttheideathat thetotalabsenceofaggressiveforceispossible,it'stheideathatinstitutionalizingitandlegitimizingitfora selectfew(government)iswrong.Whenpeopleengagetherein,theyshouldfacethesameriskofreprisals asanynongovernmentalindividualwouldfordoingso. AnarchismisproperlyseenastheleastUtopianofallapproachestothestate.Thisisbecauseit recognizesthetruenatureofthestateasbeingmerelyagroupofthosesameflawedhumanswhosenature issupposedlysobadthatwemustcontrolthemwiththestate.Thisideathatthepeoplelabeled governmentimmediatelyshedthoseflaws,orsomehowbecomelimitedbythepiecesofpaperwhich pretendtograntthemtheirpowermerelybyvirtueofthatlabelorcapability,isitselfaUtopianpresumption. Itisalsoonethatrunscountertoallhistoricalevidence,sincehistorydemonstratesfullythathumans empoweredasgovernmentdontobeythewrittenlimitsoftheirpower,andthattheytendtowardgreater abusesofpowerwhenthusempowered.

Anarchismdoesnotdependonthecontentionthatpeoplearegoodbynature.Ifpeoplearebad,that'sall themorereasonforthemNOTtobegoverningotherpeople.Afterall,governmentisjustpeople,butpeople withaspecificdutyandwhothinkthey'reobligatedtodothingsthattheywouldneverdeemmoralwithout suchatitle. Anarchism,orstatelessness,wouldlimitthedamagethatanyonehumancandointheactof"governing"to governinghisorherself,insteadofcreatinganapparatusandmoraldutyforthemtogobeyondthatsphere withasocietalpresumptionoflegitimacy.Italsoexposesallhumanbeingstothesamerisksorreprisalsby theirvictimsandwouldbecollaboratorswhentheydocommitaggression.