On Anarchy V

Anarchy is the absence of rulers, but what “ruler” means depends on one’s theory of rulers. Likewise for theories of property, authority, coercion, autonomy, occupancy, use, abandonment, appropriation, and on and on. What’s important, I think, is to remember that for whatever our theories of these concepts amount to, rather than imposing them on others, we allow them to survive as a result of market forces. In other words, all we really need to commit to as anarchists is the non-imposition of our various theories, opting instead for approaching each other in the spirit of reason, persuasion, cooperation and negotiation. Let these be our primary tools for maintaining and building the anarchy between us. Can it really be done without them? And that’s today’s two cents.

Skyler.