anarchism specific

the vigilante example

someone knocks on your door and tells you they’ve locked up all the bad people in a room and for doing so, you owe them money and if you don’t pay you will join them. they also tell you that youre no longer allowed to eat eggs or youll join the other bad people

what does the vigilante example represent

the police and tax, the rules we willingly follow in society without realising

who came up with the vigilante example

Michael Huemer

parental authority

our parents make our decisions for us when were young because we don’t have the autonomy to do it ourselves yet. they ought to have our best interests at heart

political authority

the state make big decisions on our behalves to make things equal and keep people safe, they do it for our benefit

what is the social contract

this is where political authority comes from, we all tacitly consent to it by simply existing in that state and following the laws set out for us. its basically a set of rules we have to follow, like societal norms

who was the key influence for the social contract

thomas hobbes

how does the state of nature link to the social contract

without the social contract, we would all be in a state of war, it keeps us in line to prevent the state of nature taking over

what is hobbes argument for political legitimacy

we are all natural able to threaten each other and thus a reason to do so. our natural state is therefore one of war which is highly undesirable. the only practical solution for this is the creation of a sovereign as a means of preventing the state of nature

is hobbes argument intrinsic or instrumental

instrumental

the issue with the social contract

no one has ever actually signed an official social contract, even through tacit consent, this isn’t binding so it doesn’t really have as much authority as it seems. the social contract also has no way of opting out like any other normal contract, its something we are practically forced into

why is the social contract still valid

its believed that if we ever found ourselves in the state of nature then we would sign the contract if it came to it

what are huemers 4 forms of tacit consent

through silence, through acceptance of benefits, through participation and through presence

collective anarchism

supporting the abolition of the state and private ownership, we should have collective ownership of production and democratic management of workers, it emphasises cooperation

individual anarchism

the opposing of all external control including the state and social rules, the belief that individuals should be free to live as they choose as long as they don’t harm others

is democracy actually necessary

in societies, some sort of sovereign power is necessary to maintain order but democracy ought to serve a big purpose in decision making and control