Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Morgan 12 The Contradiction of Protective Government

    Uploaded by

    Spencer Morgan
    22 views2 pages
    Government's defining characteristic is the expectation and presumed legitimacy to undertake aggressive actions. Government is deeply flawed at the conceptual level, and not just in practice or historical implementations. The presumption is that people either did, or hypothetically would, participate in a contract to empower a ruler or ruling class to better protect their rights.

    Original Description:

    Original Title

    Morgan 12 the Contradiction of Protective Government

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Government's defining characteristic is the expectation and presumed legitimacy to undertake aggressive actions. Government is deeply flawed at the conceptual level, and not just in practice or historical implementations. The presumption is that people either did, or hypothetically would, participate in a contract to empower a ruler or ruling class to better protect their rights.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    22 views2 pages

    Morgan 12 The Contradiction of Protective Government

    Uploaded by

    Spencer Morgan
    Government's defining characteristic is the expectation and presumed legitimacy to undertake aggressive actions. Government is deeply flawed at the conceptual level, and not just in practice or historical implementations. The presumption is that people either did, or hypothetically would, participate in a contract to empower a ruler or ruling class to better protect their rights.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    The Contradiction of Protective Government

    bySpencerMorgan Lastweekwebranchedoutofourdiscussiononconcepts,andbeganexamininggovernment(orthestate) asaconcept.Wedeterminedthatitsdefiningconceptualcharacteristicistheexpectationandpresumed legitimacytoundertakeaggressiveactions.Aggressiveherewouldbeacharacterizationthatbuildsonthe othersystematicconceptwehaveexamined,whichisrights.Rightsarethelinethatdefinesanactas aggressiveornonaggressive,becausetheyareabarrierthatdefinesthelimitsandimplicationsofan individualsselfownership. ThisweekIdliketolayoutthecaseforwhygovernmentisdeeplyflawedattheconceptuallevel,andnot justmerelyincurrentpracticeorhistoricalimplementations. Throughouthistory,therulingclasshastakenvariousstructuralformsandvariousjustificationsfortheir power.Wedontknowforcertainthecircumstancesofitsfirstapplicationasaconcept,butwecansee throughouthistorythatitsimplementationhastendedtoprecedeisjustifications.Inotherwords,allofthe sanctionofdeitiesandcomplexphilosophicalargumentshavecomeasanafterthought.Theywerean exerciseinjustifyingwhatalreadyexisted,usuallyinthefaceofadvancesintherationalapproachto governmentthatcausedoldjustificationstolosecredibility. Aftertheoldjustificationsforrulers,likethedivinerightofkings,hadfadedoutofpopularity,European philosopherslikeHobbesandLockestartedfillingthatdeficiencywithmymoresophisticatedphilosophical arguments.Attherootofallofthesewastheideathatpeopleeitherdid,orhypotheticallywould,participate inacontracttoempowerarulerorrulingclass,inordertobetterprotecttheirrights.Thepresumptionisthat aconditionofanabsenceofasinglerulingentityinageographicareacreatesaconditionwithinwhichthe typicalindividualislesssafe,andlessabletodefendhimself. GovernmentasProtector Itshardtodisputethatinmanytimesandplacesinhistory,thiswouldhavebeenacorrectassessment. Anassociationwithanaggressivegang,orthatgangseventualtakeovertotheexclusionofothers,can indeedresultinamorefavorableconditionforindividualswhencontrastedwithasituationofgangwarfare.A lotoftheorizingandanalysisonthisquestionhasbeendonebysomeverytalentedmindsabouthowand why,especiallyinamodernworld,asocietywithoutastatecouldoperate,andbebetterandsaferthana ruledsociety.FormoredetailIwouldreferthereadertoJeffreyTuckersItsaJetsonsWorldorthe TannehillsTheMarketforLiberty.Myintenthereismerelytoexaminetheconceptofgovernmentand measureitbythegreatstandardtowhichallofourconceptsandassessmentsofrealitymustbeheld: noncontradiction. Sincethestatemustfunditselfbyextracting,atthreatofaggression,aportionofearningsfromits citizens,itoperatesbytheveryviolationofwhatitsupposedlyexiststoprotect.Admittedlythisisnot integrallyconceptualtothestate.Somethinkershavepostulatedvoluntarilyfundedgovernments,however theviabilityofeventhosestilldependsonanotherformofaggression.Thestateispresumedtobethe singularmarketproviderofitsservices.Thereforeitmustmaintainitspositionbyexcludingotherprovidersof thosesameservices(protectionandadjudicationoflaw).Wereitnottodothis,othergovernmentsor privateassociationsofferingthoseserviceswouldenterthemarket.Becausethestateisaconceptual monopolyinagivenlocale,itconceptuallypresupposestheuseorthreatsofaggressiveforcetoprevent competition.Inthiswayattheveryleast,governmentmustviolatethebarriers(rights)thatitsconceptual justificationsrequireittoprotect.Selfownershipimpliesbothmyrighttoorganizeandsell(voluntarily)

    protectiveservicestocustomers,aswellasmyright(beingthatcustomer)tochoosenotonlywhich providerfromwhomtobuy,butwhethertobuythoseservicesatall. Thereforetheveryideaofrightsasaconcept,implicitlynegatesgovernmentinallpracticalapplicationsand attheconceptuallevel.Nomatterhowmuchwemaybeconvincedthatinthenetanalysisgovernment improvesapracticalsituation,theideaofprotectingapersonsselfownershipbyinstitutionalizingand legitimizingitsviolation,willalwaysbeacontradiction.Thiscontradictionwillonlybecomemoreglaringas improvementsintechnologyandcooperationtakeusfurtherandfurtherawayfromthebrutalagesofhistory duringwhichcircumstancesmighthavemadeitappealing.

    You might also like