The Almost-Anarchist Manifesto

by onasis

In an ideal society there is stability, the human race progresses intellectually, and all people are happy. Though many forms of government have come to form under this intent, all have failed. Whether it is Athenian democracy or Soviet communism, each have come to fall in time because their founders believed men were generally good and were capable of living in harmony together. It can very well be seen that men, through the years of modern civilization, have become selfish and corrupt. Greed and the thirst for power have driven many to sacrifice the natural rights of others for their own self. To combat selfishness a reversion to small communities of people, who work for themselves independently, will be needed. This form of anarchy calls for the abolishment of all forms of government except on the local level. It is here where men will be able to govern themselves and in time people will learn to become independent.

Humans have always believed that they must rely on other people to survive. As time progressed, men became dependent on each other for certain commodities because men started specializing in their work. It is this dependence that lead to the need of government, and because men are naturally competitive, a corrupt government is formed. It is under government that the rights of men are sacrificed because of the selfishness of a few men. Under government, men must fulfill their pre-assigned purpose while unable to search for their own purpose or meaning in life. The search for truth and meaning can take on many forms. Mill explains it best when he says “Truth, in the great practical concerns of life, is so much a question of reconciling and combining of opposites that very few have minds sufficiently capacious and impartial to make the adjustment with an approach to correctness…”

All humans are born into the “state of nature”, as Locke says. In this “state of nature” that men are given the power to decide their own fates, to determine punishment for the unjust, and protect themselves when others try to take power over them. To secure the “state of nature”, government and its institutions must be abolished and placed in the responsibilities of the individuals. To reach anarchy, people must undergo through a self realization, fueled by education, that they have the ability to choose to live freely or together in small communities. This could take centuries because for anarchy to work properly, almost everyone must believe in self reliance. But no matter what it is here where people are free from government. The responsibilities of punishing criminals, education, and other normal government functions are placed in the charge of the individual. Placing these responsibilities with the individual allows each person to manipulate it for themselves. Private property is still existent because communal property could lead to a form of government and the restriction of asserting one’s individuality through work. However enforcing property ownership is the job of each individual owner.

This society is molded around the individual. The individual must learn that to find what their own purpose or meaning they must become independent and not materialistic. Each person must recognize their individuality and realize that autonomy1 is possible. They also must realize that government leads to conformity and dependence on others. Individuals and the communities must not allow rulers or government to come up and they must not allow criminals and injustice to continue. If everyone believes in individuality and self reliance circumstances, like criminals and the greed for power, will not arise.

In conclusion, the ideal society is not really a huge group of people but a huge group of individuals. In this anarchy, people must be autonomous and look after their own necessities for the society to be successful. If this society is successful, individuality will blossom and there would be no threat from the government to suppress individuality. But if this society is not successful the consequences would be disastrous and another government could be formed. If the great risk of creating an anarchy is taken up, the fate of the society lies in the hands of the individual, for it is the individual who makes the society successful.