Can Anarchy Work?
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Can anarchy work?
Anarchy: a theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society (Dictionary). The question I pose is, will and can anarchy ever work in our world?
Dreams of a utopia linger under our breath, as if they were dirty secrets waiting to be told. A dream that people can live cooperatively with a less coercive government. While this seems impossible now, anarchy could benefit our earth and the citizens living here.
Believing that anarchy can work is the first step. Anarchism as a belief, not a political theory, states that revolutions exist in every moment of our lives and that we cannot wait for this “grand moment” as believed by most revolutionaries. We are constantly choosing what we want in this world by the way we act and what we buy. We reach for the credit card to purchase the new pair of Nikes, instead of spending money elsewhere. As consumers and citizens we are obligated to be aware of our surroundings.
When given great freedom we are also given heavier responsibility to the people around us. Anarchy can work, but only if give the right conditions. Having less coercion means relying on mans’ moral sense to guide him. While every person has a moral sense, others may be more susceptible to ignoring its warnings.
When dealing with every person’s moral sense we can use a “bell curve” example to describe ones potential. We are all given choices that are unquestionable, and one can choose to be great or fail miserably. In this game of life, anarchy relies on our ability to cooperate with one another instead of being forced into institutions, which may be beneficial or not.
There are few people that will stand up for what they believe in, but most don’t even know what they want or need. Currently, “Fifty percent of the population is below average in intelligence”(Anarchy), states Charles Murray at a recent Libertarian convention. As people are becoming more uneducated we are doing nothing to fix this. We still pay taxes and give politicians raises, without fixing healthcare, roads or the education system. This problem could lead to hindering anarchism in the future as an alternative institutional system.
When talking of intelligence, Murray later states that there is a “…relationship between social behavior and IQ.” This is true and present in the world today. The power-elite are ruling us, while the ignorant could do a “better” job, without abusing power. Yet, the uneducated choose weapons to speak for them, instead of a cookie-cutter anarchist pamphlet.
In history, anarchy has been a major belief throughout the last century, such as the socialist and communist movements. However, governments have hushed the talk of anarchism by throwing more problems at the world to deal with. Anarchists’ seek to eradicate that government and the hierarchy that hold us down, so that the people can truly be free.
In the late 19th century, working conditions were harsh across the globe as the class gap grew (similar to our present day). Workers sought more from life, and a way to make that happen. Revolution was seen to most, as a way to use violence to resist violence. Two of the major anarchical philosophers Pierre Proudhon and his disciple, Mikhail Bakunin, believed that revolution was “a natural tendency of life,” and also that, “in general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.”(Gould) Our cultures apathy makes me lose hope in our natural instincts, as we conform more and speak out less.
Anarchy became a strong