The dialectic of argument goes l;ikle this. What about cdases of determined noncompliers, the bullies you hear about in some small towns, at the extreme, serial killers, at a more normal level, jerks who want others to work for them while hey laya bout contributing nothing, not even art (say). Oh, the anarchist answers, such people will be very view. I think there will be more than you do, say the democrat, but suppose you are right, what will you do with them--even a few of them can be a problem. What will you use, harsh language? Yes, says the anarchist, and if that doesn't work, other sorts of social pressure. Ostracism, boycotts, no one will feed the bum. The democrat says, and that just provides violently antisocial behavior, maybe you'll kill him? After all, there are no laws for lynching to be against. That won't be necessary very often, says the anarchist.
Well, set aside lynching, continues the democrat, you're telling me ostracism and boycotts aren't coercive? Yes they are, admits the anarchist, but it makesa difference that they're not carried out by the state. Sure it does, say the democrat,a difference for the worse. If you get screwed up by state coercion in a democracy, you have procedures for appeals, rectification, civil rights laws suits abd the like. Under anarchy you have no recourse against your possibily bigoted or obnoxious neighbors. Well, says the anarchist, I think people will be better than that under anarchy, and anyway most conduct will be carried out in a genuinely voluntary and noncoercive way. The democrat says, most conduct under democracy is voluntary and noncoercive, or anyway doesn't involve state coercion; the problem is is with those who test the limits.
The anarchist says, it comes down to this, you are a pessimistic essentialista bout human beings. No, says the democrat, you are an optimsitic malleabilist and an individualsit; you havcen'y given thought to institutional incentives to getting compliance.
And that's as far as I have taken it. Why don't we start there?
jks
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