RE: Voluntaryists Are Moral Agents Not Soothsayers
It's an interesting conundrum, one I have been contemplating for years....The state and corporate interests have become so intertwined that it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. It all hinges on human nature. Are people naturally altruistic, or irrationally self-interested (motivated by myopic selfishness)? If the former were true, there would be no problem. However, I believe it is the latter, hence the need for institutions such as religions. The problems inherent in institutions makes institutional remedies an impossibility. I wrote a blog a while ago called The Failure of Institutional Remedies: The Philosophy of Jesus Christ that addresses that. Peaceful Anarchy is indeed the answer, the problem is how to get from here to there. Good article, upvoted!
To me Agorism is the way we get from here to there.
I'll have to look that up.
Thank you for an intriguing comment. On the one hand I believe it does not matter whether people are fundamentally altruistic or irrationally self-interested. As long as we do not hallucinate an institution of coercive power AKA the State, there is very little harm an individual psychopath or sociopath can do without anyone believing he/she is a legitimate ruler.
On the other hand I sincerely believe that people are fundamentally altruistic and respectful of each others self ownership and property rights. Without this being the case I do not think the magnificent inventions and advances in technology necessary to create massive civilizations would have been possible. A complex thriving economy requires the cooperation of vast swaths of peaceful people engaging in voluntary trade. Most people simply want to earn their livelihood honestly, put food on the table, provide shelter for their families, and raise their kids to be decent, moral, compassionate human beings. Cheers! :-)
There was a very interesting article yesterday called Kakistocracy (rule by the worst) For some reason, institutions, no matter how noble their original intentions, are usurped by their worst element. I tend to agree with you about most people being altruistic, however, people who seek power aren't...therein lies the problem.