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Anarchism


By Robert Thomas Drury

10/19/2015 (revised 7/19/2017, 2-15-2020)

Maximizing universal wellbeing requires that we meet all universal human needs, including that for self-determination, and this requires a most practical/simple organization of relevant ideas, such as the following:

The people acting collectively/cooperatively in maintaining societal order defines anarchism, and a void of anarchism in maintaining societal order defines authoritarianism. Anarchism will displace authoritarianism when a constructive doctrine to guide the people in acting collectively displaces the destructive doctrine of authoritarianism. This constructive doctrine is determined by the aspects of human nature for maintaining societal order that maximizes universal wellbeing. A destructive doctrine denies, discounts or distorts aspects of human nature and claims that human potential is realized without universal wellbeing.

The constructive doctrine enhances, rather than inhibits, the people's overall freedom, given the necessary distinction between constructive and destructive freedom. Constructive freedom is limited to minimize harm and preserving the people's unity/equity. Destructive freedom is unlimited, and results in division/domination (chaos/authoritarianism). The people's defense against authoritarian encroachment is in preserving the distinction between constructive/destructive freedoms in our minds, via constructive doctrine.

Likewise, constructive organization is carefully limited to minimize harm and preserve the people's unity/equity. Destructive organization is authoritarian/hierarchical, featuring mass ignorance/disability and submissive dependence. Constructive organization requires the universal practice of a constructive doctrine, universal access to and application of information, and persistence, to maintain universal participation and thwart devolution toward destructive organization.

Likewise, there is a distinction between constructive individuality and destructive individuality. Constructive individuality in a society involves more complex cooperation/coordination to accommodate differences, with universal recognition of the value of accommodation, thereby preserving unity/equity, while destructive individuality resorts to domination/submission, thereby destroying unity/equity.

In general, constructivity correlates with cooperation while destructivity correlates with competition. The lack of distinction between constructivity and destructivity in societal conventions (doctrine) creates mass confusion and tolerance of authoritarianism and its monstrous destructivity. Anarchism, and its goal of maximum universal wellbeing, depend on a clear distinction between everything constructive and everything destructive. The Hippocratic Oath (do no harm), the Categorical Imperative (do what's good when universally done), the Golden Rule (do for others what you want done for you), the Consensus Rule (do what's universally consensual) are four details of Anarchist doctrine for the realization of maximum universal wellbeing.

Anarchism vs Authoritarianism