(Sorry about the multiple posts; I have this tendency towards thinking in
afterthoughts.)
In other words, my feeling is that when people postulate an originary
"state of nature" in which humanity has this or that essential goodness,
they do this in response to being, as it were, theory-wise pushed to
the wall. Whereas in actual fact, I think, most anti-authoritarians
simply don't find the problem of people wanting to murder each other
interesting. And my feeling is that they don't find it interesting
because "at heart" they don't think it's a problem -- not because they
don't mind being murdered, but because they don't really think people
_do_ want to murder each other. It's not a matter of theory, but of
temperament; which is why discussions between anti-authoritarians and
authoritarians usually hit a brick wall.
-m
afterthoughts.)
In other words, my feeling is that when people postulate an originary
"state of nature" in which humanity has this or that essential goodness,
they do this in response to being, as it were, theory-wise pushed to
the wall. Whereas in actual fact, I think, most anti-authoritarians
simply don't find the problem of people wanting to murder each other
interesting. And my feeling is that they don't find it interesting
because "at heart" they don't think it's a problem -- not because they
don't mind being murdered, but because they don't really think people
_do_ want to murder each other. It's not a matter of theory, but of
temperament; which is why discussions between anti-authoritarians and
authoritarians usually hit a brick wall.
-m