Anarchy: the Rejection of Objective Morality and Law
by Donovan A.
Anarchism is the rejection of organized government. It claims that individuals should be free from society, objective law, and objective rights. Anarchism, as such, takes no position as to what society should or should not permit since it is against society, which means the anarchist philosophy is simply a negation. The basic contradiction in anarchism is that it advocates being a group against groups.
Every political or social system is based on a moral theory. The altruist morality claims that the benefit of the group or society as a whole (the common good) is the standard of morality. Its political expression is collectivism in its various forms.
Moral agnosticism or moral subjectivism, however, claims that morality is a matter of personal preference and morality is not dependent on metaphysical facts of reality. The political expression of moral subjectivism is anarchism; the idea that anyone should be able to take any action based on his/her preferences or whims (the right to violate rights). An anarchist doesn’t differentiate between the police or the mafia. Instead, he rejects the concept of objective justice completely. An anarchist doesn’t differentiate between voting for Thomas Jefferson or Fidel Castro. Instead, he rejects voting completely. An anarchist doesn’t differentiate between anti-trust laws or copyright laws. Instead, he rejects all laws completely. An anarchist doesn’t differentiate between self-defense or murder. Instead, he views both as acts of violence. An anarchist may personally claim to prefer pacifism over activism (which he considers to be “interference”), but all his position can amount to is a subjective preference (whim).
In contrast to altruism and subjectivism, the rational egoist morality claims that the individual has a moral right to exist for his own sake. The political expression of rational egoism is individualism and the protection of individual rights (e.g., life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness). As Thomas Jefferson stated, “to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” A constitutionally limited government functions to protect rights and to objectively and peacefully (or forcefully) resolve disputes.
