It is not very often in a man’s life or in the lifespan of a nation or civilization that a man or a nation decides that it is better off in servitude to a power than be independent and free. Yet for the most of the recorded history of man, there have been civilizations not in rarity but as a norm who have served under some or other power. This power when not another civilization has been divine or worse self-imposed. It is the most misanthropic of all views that some part of every society or some societies in every epoch are incapable of self-rule. The extent of this misanthropy is when an individual in a society is considered to be too weak for existence that a higher authority is needed to rule over him. This higher authority has historically been lords, dukes, barons, kings and above all God himself. Yet even the complete annihilation of aristocracy, divine rule and monarchy in countries has not completely liberated man from subordination. He now is subject to a government elected by his fellow country-men. Although he has some control over the government, he continues to be subject to laws of the land that he doesn’t directly approve of. His disapproval can be expressed only occasionally and doesn’t necessarily help him overcome subordination. For even when some laws may be shaped his franchise, there will always be laws that he will never approve of. This is the case with every single man in the country including the representatives who play a more active role in shaping the society. So, subordination has not disappeared from the face of earth as visionaries imagined but has compounded and disguised itself in the form of the Nation-state. For a man, who chooses not to follow the laws of the state, becomes an outlaw punished for not confirming to a set of laws he neither made nor can unmake. He is bound by, as many philosophers have liked to call it, a social contract. This contract is not voluntary but imposed. An individual doesn’t ‘sign’ a contract with the state, the state signs a contact on his behalf. He has no option but to accept a contract that has been signed without his consent. He is condemned by the state to be its ‘citizen’ and he loses all his individuality for the sake of the state. He is now forced to conform to laws he doesn’t believe in, expected to pay taxes that don’t benefit him and serve the nation through his talents. His service is never repaid. In return for his labor, he gets to become a servant of the state. How different is this then for serfdom which democracy hoped to replace? True liberation cannot come from changing the style of government; it comes from the elimination of government. Only with the elimination of governments can an individual truly realize his potential. The argument that men work best when they are enslaved is absurd because men who work not from the fear of punishment but for the love of their profession work better and in greater harmony with others in their profession and with those in other professions. In a stateless society, men get their fruits according to their labor, and not according to their conformity. Men then work to be as useful to the society so as to gain maximum from it and each man thinking in the same manner, provides more goods for the society than ever achievable under the most provident government. The problems of the society are solved by men within it and not above it and since no man are detached from the society and placed at a pedestal higher than rest as it is so common in our times, the men who govern are the men who are governed and by that principle will govern benevolently to be governed with benevolence. This is not the case with governments who deriving power from the society cease to be a part of the society and hence work only for their benefit and not for that of the society. Anarchy is the brainchild of nature and because it needn’t be invented by any man is generally free of prejudice. All species in this planet, although may work in unison, have never formed nay visible government or hierarchy. This is how nature works. It doesn’t need any support but what it has been naturally given to it by evolution. Man too doesn’t require a government. His vices arise not out of lack of conformity but out of too much authority which he seeks to overthrow. Societies are created from need, governments from greed. The greed of a few men has subjected a majority to a life of subordination. Man doesn’t get security from having a government but rather loses all security he had hitherto possessed. He is constantly under the fear of the government. Man’s life doesn’t improve because of the government but only reduces in quality. His life now becomes one of many lives in the state and loses all its value. He becomes a mere ‘number’ in the state. His efforts are used to exploit him. His tax-money is used to control his actions. He pays to be enslaved. And worst of all, he can neither evade tax payment nor government control without punishment. He is a slave of the state.
dude! awesome job! deep thinking! and who says that 17 is too young for blogging?! you need to publicize your blog! ever thought about blogging communities like Blogadda, Indiblogger and Blogjunta....and Blogeshwar (on facebook) too. You've got a really long way to go! Best of luk. Keep blogging...!
ReplyDeleteInspired by Locke? Are individuals capable of defending themselves as well as nations? Social contracts need not be bad. It is the duty of the individual to follow the laws of the state. To be fair, these laws are decided by representatives of the individuals themselves. While it is true that the individuals have no choice but to abide by these laws, to enter the social contract, all I am saying is that given a choice, I would still enter a social contract. Maybe because it is not possible to think of any other way having been indoctrinated since birth. The ancient Spartans lived through tough conditions and then asked their children to go through the same because they had been married to an ancient tradition of a Spartan lifestyle and could think of no other way. What are the alternatives? Natural order? A land far far away where people who don't want to abide by any laws are discarded? That sounds a bit like Australia, at least in its beginning. As far as I can see, the major points you put forth in your argument are that one cannot chose to not enter a contract with the state and that one cannot hope to exercise complete control over the state. The state came into being because human beings have tendencies to behave in manners that are according to what society thinks and against what others think and it was necessary to separate the two. It was necessary to separate the people who grew/hunted their own food from the people who just took it from them. Over time, it performed functions(hence taxes) that were more beneficial to the first group than the second and completely represented them. I believe in order. If we have to pay a small price, so be it. I can not imagine returning to the natural order of things and wouldn't approve of it.
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