Quote:
Originally posted by ARTelevision
I have come to the conclusion that I am a firm adherent of authoritarian ideas. As I see it, this is antithetical to anarchism and it stands in opposition to libertarianism.
This is based on my conception of human nature. I see us as essentially unable to observe, scrutinize, and comprehend things in a sufficiently self-critical manner and it is also a result of our basal anarchic tendency. Anarchy is a given in the state of nature. It needs no further promotion. The anarchic principle arises as forms of libertatrianism in civilized discourse.
Authoritarian rule has risen to the surface in supposedly different political systems. This is because it is the required parameter of civilized life. Humans are savage, self-serving individuals who require systems of control for optimum social operation. The only way humans are civilized is by fear.
IMO, the question is not what can or should replace the universal authoritarianism of forms of governance. The question is one of control - how much and what manner of control are best.
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Perhaps Plato's guardian state would be to your liking. Philosopher Kings who are more adept to knowing "the good" in society and therefore more capable of leading us out of the cave.
Be careful when discussing a human nature, as that entails certain constants. Are we to deny social and cultural implications or are we to take a communitarian approach? Are there truly inherent aspects to each and everyone of us? Is it the fear you mention? Is fear not a construction of our own?
Maybe the problem is us trying to be self-critical in the first place. Before Kant and the creation of the social sciences (psych, sociology, biology) humans were the observers. Now we are the subjects of our own observation. Foucault would say this has led to the mass over-complication of things and he would put the blame squarely on Kant.
Maybe sometimes a fish is just a fish. I wonder how our outlook would change if we learned to take a step back, de-problematize history, and just be human.
SLM3