At 11:07 AM -0800 5/14/97, Tom Allard wrote:
How pedantic. Webster's New World Dictionary (also reputable, I might add), has THIS to say about "Anarchy":
anarchy n. [Gr. an- without + archos, leader] 1. the absence of government 2. political disorder and violence 3. disorder; confusion
Note the etymology. Taken to its roots, the word simply means "no leader".
Tom is exactly right. Citing dictionary definitions without proper context--and the context of "anarchy" and "anarcho-capitalism" on this of _all_ lists is quite important--is just plain pedantry. Dictionaries are not encyclopedias, and rarely provide nuanced definitions. In this case, the meaning of "anarchy" is of course overloaded with various connotations. (I'm reminded, too, of hackneyed Toastmasters-type speeches which seem to always begin with an obligatory Webster's quote. "Websters defines virtue as ....") The meaning of anarchy, and how it differs from chaos and random killings, has been discussed many times. David Friedman's "The Machinery of Freedom" is a good book to start with. Bruce Benson's "The Enterprise of Law" also discusses how lawlessness is not at all a necessary part of "no rulers" (Hint: international trade generally involves "no ruler," given that neither the United Nations nor the World Court have much power over such things, and yet international trade has worked for several centuries, and arguably for millenia, with good success.)
It also says:
anarchism n. [see anarchy] 1. the theory that all organized government is repressive and undesirable 2. resistance to all government
Note the COMPLETE lack of "chaos" or "disorder" in this definition. Being an anarchist, therefore, does NOT imply that one supports chaos and disorder.
And it's important to note that _many_, even _most_, aspects of Western society are essentially anarchic. The books we read, the restaurants we patronize, the clothes we wear...while the range of choices is constrained by what the market offers, and by social norms, etc., there are no "rulers" (or "tops," or "arches," hence, 'an archy," as Tom notes the etymology above). To see why this is important, let us imagine somelike Diane Feinstein calling for laws about what books may be read, "to put an end to the chaos, lawlessness, and disorder in the bookreading community." (Actually, this is exactly the sort of law Feinstein, Goodlatte, and all the rest are almost constantly proposing...the only thing that stops some of these proposals from progressing is the black letter law of "Congress shall make no law...," and even then these bozos try to find workarounds and exceptions. This is one reason I have absolutely no faith that legislation can secure basic rights.) As for Kent Crispin's remark that he chooses not to use the "esoteric" definition of anarchy that the anarchist community, and economists (actually), and others use, and prefers his "Toastmaster's Club" hoary recitation of a simple dictionary definition, well, this is why I'm becoming convinced that "Kent Crispin" is just a new identity David Sternlight has adopted. --Tim May There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws. Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!" ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."