Anarchy 44/Not quite an anarchist - Revision history

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imported>Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 44 (Vol 4 No 10) October 1964
Not quite an anarchist | author = John Crump | section = | previous = ../The morality o..."

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Created page with "{{header | title = [[../|ANARCHY 44 (Vol 4 No 10) October 1964]]<br>Not quite an anarchist | author = John Crump | section = | previous = ../The morality o..."

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{{header
| title = [[../|ANARCHY 44 (Vol 4 No 10) October 1964]]<br>Not quite an anarchist
| author = John Crump
| section =
| previous = [[../The morality of anarchism|The morality of anarchism]]
| next = [[../An anarchist in Africa|An anarchist in Africa]]
| notes =
}}

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<font size="5">'''Not quite an anarchist'''</font>

<font size="4">'''[[Author:John Crump|JOHN CRUMP]]'''</font>

<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc|{{w|Thomas paine|Thomas_Paine}} … was never enough}} of an optimist to let his natural anarchism run its full course.<ref><font size="2">{{l|''Anarchism''|http://rebels-library.org/files/woodcock_anarchism.pdf}}{{dash}}[[Author:George Woodcock|George Woodcock]].</font></ref> His contemporary, {{w|William Godwin|William_Godwin}}, said in his {{qq|{{l|Enquiry Concerning Political Justice|https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/godwin-an-enquiry-concerning-political-justice-in-2-vols}}}} (1793), {{qq|With what delight must every well-<wbr>informed friend of mankind look forward to the dissolution of political government, of that brute engine which has been the only perennial cause of the vices of mankind … and no otherwise to be removed than by its utter annihilation.}} Paine takes a more negative stance:{{dash}} {{qq|Some writers have so confounded society with government as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness … Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but ''a necessary evil''.}}<ref>{{l|''Common Sense''|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Common_Sense}}{{dash}}{{w|Thomas Paine|Thomas_Paine}}.</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Not quite an anarchist}}
[[Category:Anarchist philosophy]]
[[Category:Articles]]

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−	<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc\|{{w\|Thomas paine\|Thomas_Paine}} … was never enough}} of an optimist to let his natural anarchism run its full course.<ref><font size="2">{{l\|''Anarchism''\|http://rebels-library.org/files/woodcock_anarchism.pdf}}{{dash}}[[Author:George Woodcock\|George Woodcock]].</font></ref> His contemporary, {{w\|William Godwin\|William_Godwin}}, said in his {{qq\|{{l\|Enquiry Concerning Political Justice\|https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/godwin-an-enquiry-concerning-political-justice-in-2-vols}}}} (1793), {{qq\|With what delight must every well-<wbr>informed friend of mankind look forward to the dissolution of political government, of that brute engine which has been the only perennial cause of the vices of mankind … and no otherwise to be removed than by its utter annihilation<!-- 'annihalation' in original -->.}} Paine takes a more negative stance:{{dash}} {{qq\|Some writers have so confounded society with government as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness … Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but ''a necessary evil''.}}<ref>{{l\|''Common Sense''\|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Common_Sense}}{{dash}}{{w\|Thomas Paine\|Thomas_Paine}}.</ref>	+	<div style="text-align:justify;">{{sc\|{{w\|Thomas paine\|Thomas_Paine}} … was never enough}} of an optimist to let his natural anarchism run its full course.<ref><font size="2">{{l\|''Anarchism''\|http://rebels-library.org/files/woodcock_anarchism.pdf}}{{dash}}[[Author:George Woodcock\|George Woodcock]].</font></ref> His contemporary, {{w\|William Godwin\|William_Godwin}}, said in his {{qq\|{{l\|Enquiry Concerning Political Justice\|https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/godwin-an-enquiry-concerning-political-justice-in-2-vols}}}} (1793), {{qq\|With what delight must every well-<wbr>informed friend of mankind look forward to the dissolution of political government, of that brute engine which has been the only perennial cause of the vices of mankind … and no otherwise to be removed than by its utter annihilation<!-- 'annihalation' in original -->.}} Paine takes a more negative stance:{{dash}} {{qq\|Some writers have so confounded society with government as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness … Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but ''a necessary evil''.}}<ref><font size="2">{{l\|''Common Sense''\|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Common_Sense}}{{dash}}{{w\|Thomas Paine\|Thomas_Paine}}.</font></ref>
		+
		+	{{tab}}{{w\|Thomas Hobbes\|Thomas_Hobbes}} thought that without government {{qq\|the life of man (would be) solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.}}<ref><font size="2">{{l\|''Leviathan''\|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Leviathan}}{{dash}}{{w\|Thomas Hobbes\|Thomas_Hobbes}}.</font></ref> Paine took an opposing view; {{qq\|Great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of Government. It has its origins in the principles of society and the natural constitution of man.}} In theory then Paine believed that man was essentially a responsible being who should be perfectly free, providing that his liberty did not infringe on another{{s}} freedom.
		+
		+	{{tab}}He was sceptical of the practice of subordinating the mass of men to the guidance of a few. We have seen that he clearly differentiated between society and government in {{qq\|{{l\|Common Sense\|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Common_Sense}}}}, and he returns to this subject in {{qq\|{{l\|The Rights of Man\|https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Rights_of_Man}}}}, saying here {{qq\|… society performs for itself almost everything ascribed to Government.}} He goes on to elaborate this theme, describing the state in {{w\|America\|American_Revolution#Creating_new_state_constitutions}} when there was no formal government for more than two years following the outbreak of the {{w\|War of Independence\|American_Revolutionary_War}}. He maintains that the disappearance of government there caused the flourishing of society, {{qq\|common interest producing common security.}}
		+
		+	{{tab}}Here then there at first appears to be a clear-<wbr>cut position. Paine held that many of the activities which governments concerned themselves with were superfluous. Not only were they unnecessary and a waste of time, but often definitely harmful. Pursuing this line of argument he writes{{dash}}{{qq\|But how often is the natural propensity to society disturbed or destroyed by the operations of Government.}} And again{{dash}}{{qq\|… instead of consolidating society it (government) divided it, it deprived it of its natural cohesion, and engendered discontents and disorders which otherwise would not have existed.}}
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@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 {{tab}}Here then there at first ap&shy;pears to be a clear-<wbr>cut posi&shy;tion. Paine held that many of the activ&shy;it&shy;ies which gov&shy;ern&shy;ments con&shy;cerned them&shy;selves with were super&shy;flu&shy;ous. Not only were they un&shy;neces&shy;sary and a waste of time, but often defin&shy;itely harm&shy;ful. Pur&shy;su&shy;ing this line of argu&shy;ment he writes{{dash}}{{qq|But how often is the na&shy;tural pro&shy;pens&shy;ity to so&shy;ciety dis&shy;turbed or de&shy;stroyed by the oper&shy;a&shy;tions of Gov&shy;ern&shy;ment.}} And again{{dash}}{{qq|&hellip; in&shy;stead of con&shy;solid&shy;at&shy;ing so&shy;ciety it (gov&shy;ern&shy;ment) di&shy;vided it, it de&shy;prived it of its na&shy;tural co&shy;he&shy;sion, and en&shy;gen&shy;dered dis&shy;con&shy;tents and dis&shy;orders which other&shy;wise would not have existed.}}
 </div>
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 {{DEFAULTSORT:Not quite an anarchist}}
 [[Category:Anarchist philosophy]]
 [[Category:Articles]]

Anarchy 44/Not quite an anarchist - Revision history

imported>Ivanhoe at 08:34, 30 December 2018

imported>Ivanhoe at 06:09, 30 December 2018

imported>Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 44 (Vol 4 No 10) October 1964Not quite an anarchist | author = John Crump | section = | previous = ../The morality o..."

imported>Ivanhoe: Created page with "{{header | title = ANARCHY 44 (Vol 4 No 10) October 1964
Not quite an anarchist | author = John Crump | section = | previous = ../The morality o..."