Voluntaryism is a Moral Observation, Not a Detached, Utilitarian Philosophy.
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Voluntaryism is a moral observation.
The "moral" or ethical ground/value it is founded upon? Valuing minimal violent conflict. If you don't value this, then don't worry about becoming or debating a voluntaryist, because there would really be no point, by most estimations.
In short, attempting to prove anything other than the necessity of property norms and the respect for individual self-ownership is a waste of time by voluntaryist standards, as far as the crux of the problem is concerned. "Who will build the roads?" Even if I had no answer to this query, the fact that violating individuals to pay for the construction of roads without their consent is wrong (potentiates/creates violent conflict) reamins the same. Who will build the roads? It doesn't matter, foundationally. Primarily. What matters? What is of critical, primary importance? The violation of the individual. That matters.
Who will pick the cotton if we end slavery? Who will build a new house if we put out the fire?
Who gives a fuck! Put out the fire! And save the dog while you're at it, if you can!
Each individual is more important than any rationalization for the "necessity" of violent systems such as the state.
See. This thing called voluntaryism is about love. That's where it comes from. We're all in this together. Let's live by some laws found in nature that make the playing field as level as possible for everyone, without violating anyone by design.
Will violence still occur? Of course. It always will.
Does that mean that the fire should rage on? That systems explicitly built on and dependent upon murder, extortion, and theft should remain? Of course not. Don't be silly. That's like saying your kid stole some candy from the store so you might as well execute him.
You silly authoritarians!
Come to the voluntary side!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
My video is at DLive
Great breakdown of this issue. I recently got into a similar argument with a liberal friend. He believes in the "pragmatic" idea of banning certain firearms that he decided are unnecessary and inappropriate for "regular people" to possess. When pressed, he admitted that would be nearly impossible and wouldn't necessarily save lives, and didn't care, so I don't even think he finds his position very pragmatic. Either way, I tried to explain to him that he has no right to decide for others what they are allowed to own as a matter of principle. He then employed a strawman, claiming I "want everyone to have a gun" and the old "you're utopian if you don't believe in coercion" line. I attempted to explain the difference between his consequentialist worldview and my support for individuals' inherent right to be free from coercion, regardless of the outcome for "society".
Sadly, I think so many people are brainwashed into this consequentialist ideology in mainstream academic institutions. Too many leftists with fancy degrees think they know everything and are completely unwilling to challenge their beliefs.
Totally. For them it almost seems to be 100% a matter of pride and feeling “right.”
It’s extremely frustrating.
I really do love the way voluntaryists frame the debate! To “treat all people the same”, and “not violating anyone”. In the V40 lectures by Jay Stuart Snelson he is able to make the voluntaryist case so well. Thanks for the post! Resteemed and upvoted!
It's so simple that people who don't understand it really frustrate me. As @jeffberwick has said, it is the "Golden Rule" or NAP. Treat others as you would want to be treated. In other words, we are all equal under the law. There are no special protections or double standards. Why is that complicated?
I guess it is a testament to the severe level of brainwashing and indoctrination that goes on, that so many cannot connect their conviction "don't hit, don't steal" to the adult world of human interaction.
Sadly, a lot of folks these days were apparently raised by parents who did hit, lie, and steal. :( Take Christmas as one example. My wife was really mad at me because I refused to go along with teaching my children lies about the holiday. When we lie to our children, even about supposed trivial things like that, they learn to lie... and not trust us. Any wonder why society pushes such nonsense on people? ;-)
It's crazy. I think I remember once in once of my cultural Anthropological seminars, we did a survey of societies all over the world, including the over-romanticized 'aboriginal cultures.' The conclusion is that they almost all become excessively tyrannical when they start organizing "systems of governance" to guarantee compliance.
I would counter that governance is fine. As I often state, I want rules without rulers and governance without government. The difference between governance and government is very simple too.
There will always be leaders and people who voluntarily follow those leaders. That's governance.
Government on the other hand means there are double standards and special protections for the select few in control over the rest.
That is tyrannical and needs to be stopped.
Well done, maybe one day it will be the norm... Till then do what you can where you can.
I completely agree and would like to add that we shouldn't expect statists to adopt the common sense morality of voluntaryism. They should (and mostly do)already value non-violent interaction out of politics of self interest. It's not until we get I to specifics do they begin to push back.
Law depends on social norms and morality dictates these norms. A statist society who's morality has been skewed by propaganda and disinformation can't be expected to follow consistently, let alone understand the principal of self ownership right off the bat. Their minds have been conditioned by generations of property taxes and new legislation.
The idea is clear: either we are intelligent people who use our reasoning to live together in peace, helping each other; or we are the fox of the prairie waiting for an opportunity, an oversight.
The evil is, we often say something, but our actions go in the opposite direction; so we are either bipolar or a string of hypocrites.
Our actions must be in blind agreement with our words, our values; but when we are touched by the wound, these values are omitted, because our brain - the organ of all our evils - emits impulses to safeguard its interests - integrity - and violence appears. Maybe everything would be different if we cultivated the Buddhist teachings... hahaha.
Creating government, a system of monopoly, double standards, and special protections, allows the very few predators among us the perfect place for them to control and rule over others. That's the main issue we have as the vast majority of peaceful people who are not predators. Without that system, those predators would not have the power and control they currently have. They would be equal under the law with everyone else, and they would pay dearly for their immoral activity.
Oh, I don’t think our brains are evil at all, in and of themselves. My brain is what allows me to assess and evaluate the world, and what helps to keep me alive. When it has been programmed and obstructed, that certainly is a problem, though.
I think self-interest is beautiful, and it is what ultimately allows us to keep peace, as it leads one to the realization that everyone else is in the same boat trying to survive, and helps us to help ourselves and others.
When people’s basic needs are met, they are almost always kind and good. The lie that the state and the media sell is that we are all evil and need a big “daddy” government to protect us from each other.
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Thanks, me!
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