6.5 Incorporating Independents

Legitimacy of the State

• Discussion revolves around what makes a state

  • Questions about normative justification of a state arise.

  • The difference between causal accounts of state formation and its legitimacy.

Nozick’s Perspective on State Legitimacy

• Nozick emphasizes the importance of compensation in establishing legitimacy.

  • Basic premise: States may violate individual rights, but can potentially compensate for those violations.

• Utility Changes:

  • Independents pose a threat, diminishing societal utility.

  • Once forced to comply with state authority, societal utility rises, but victims' utility decreases due to rights violation.

Concept of Compensation

• Core Idea:

  • Compensation acts as a bridge from a de facto state (based on causal development) to a de jure state (legitimate and justified).

• Role of Rights:

  • Emphasizes individual rights and freedoms, vital from a libertarian stance.

  • Compensation must restore violated rights to maintain legitimacy.

Challenges Surrounding Compensation

• Determining Compensation:

  • The challenge lies in assessing what constitutes appropriate compensation to restore individuals' utilities to their original standing.

• Hypothetical Nature of Compensation:

  • Acknowledges that compensation is often more theoretical, raising questions about feasibility in practice.

• Moral Hazard Issue:

  • Compensating individuals may unintentionally encourage rebellious behavior against state authority.

Alternative Perspectives on Compensations

• Raises the question:

  • Should independents compensate state members for their fear?

  • Must consider the feasibility and trust in the arrangement from the state's perspective.

Natural Monopoly of Force Argument

• Key Concept:

  • The state maintains authority through a monopoly on force, establishing a necessary condition for legitimacy.

  • Problems arise if the state cannot deliver security or if independents are not controlled.

• Impossibility of Tolerating Independents:

  • States cannot guarantee protection if independents exist outside their control.

Political Contexts: Secession and Power Dynamics

• Explores the relationship between state's coercive power and political autonomy.

  • Example: American Civil War highlights coercive power struggles and the concept of secession.

  • A secessionist movement is likely to succeed only if it possesses sufficient coercive power.

Conclusion

• Emphasizes that coercive forces ultimately define political authority within a territory.

  • The minimal state concept emerges as a response to external threats, as states integrate possible challenges to maintain order and security.