Box 13, Item 999: Notes and clippings on anarchy
Title
Box 13, Item 999: Notes and clippings on anarchy
Subject
Typescripts and handwritten notes. Includes copies of published works by other authors and letters.
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Published works and letters redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions. Title in collection finding aid: Green Folder single large staggered bundle of notes on anarchy.
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Source
The University of Queensland's Richard Sylvan Papers UQFL291, Box 13, Item 999
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This item was identified for digitisation at the request of The University of Queensland's 2020 Fryer Library Fellow, Dr. N.A.J. Taylor.
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For all enquiries about this work, please contact the Fryer Library, The University of Queensland Library.
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[124] leaves. 195.74 MB.
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Manuscript
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Lake George - Floor - Pile 7
Text
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The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Annotated cutting (photocopy) of two pages from Sears PB (1965) 'Utopia and the living
landscape', Daedalus, 94:474–486. (1 leaf)
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BEHIND LEFT AND RIGHT:
ENVIRONMENTAL ANARCHISM.
There are forms of anarchism which represent a new political
^dimension outside the lineal left-right classification.
Of course
these forms of anarchism have features in common with rightist
positions (forms of capitalism and "free" enterprise) and with
of
leftist positions (formsXsocialism and communism) and currently
with both.
But they reject crucial features of both, and, more
to the point, assumptions upon which the classification of the
conventional right-left political spectrum is based.These are
assumptions of central control of a state, of control of the means
of production
(on the one side by private individuals and on the
other side by the people or a committee supposedly representing
them), of ownership of property (privately versus publicly) , and
overarching all these the familiar assumptions of human chauvinism
(e.g. those discussed in [1], such as that all of value resides in
humankind or answers back to human interests).
There are forms
of anarchism - especially environmental anarchisms, the working
out of the character of which is one of the main objectives - which
reject, or importantly qualify, all these assumptions.
There has been a concerted, but intellectually fradulent,
attempt by statements of both right and left to absorb anarchism
as theirs.
For example, Nozick [2] and others to the right try
to represent anarchism as fitting into their libertarian scheme.
Nozick (in his final chapter) outlines a framework for utopias, a
generous framework which would include most anarchist options;
but
1 As might be expected the right-left classification is not a single
thing, but a bundle of different, and not mutually consistent,
classifications.
In the sense in which 'right' means 'conservative
for example, in contrast to 'left' as 'non-conservative', the
dichotomy is exhaustive, but then the distinction is a different
one from that under discussion and attack. The origin of the
classification would hardly lead one to anticipate completeness.
The members of continental parliaments who sat on the right or the
left hardly exhausted the range of political positions, especially
those in opposition to such a centralised state mechanism of
cont..
1.1
control and concentration of power.
In the end the right
left 'distinction' is to be left behind: it is only some
thing to hang an introduction on.
From a philosophical viewpoint there is hardly a more
interesting word in English than 'right' with 24 headings
in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, several of major philosophical
importance, and by no means all of the senses there are
untangled.
2.
he goes on, without any discernible argument,to claim - what
certainly seems false
that the framework for utopias is nothing
but his minimal state.
Both this minimal state and the arguments
for it are, however, decidedly objectionable at least from
anarchist viewpoints not to the right, in particular which reject
the propertarians or chauvinistic assumptions slipped into the
bottom of Nozick's position.
(The criticism of Nozick is so far
no more than a set of memos:
it will have to be spelled out.)
The attempted take-over bid by the left is sometimes if
anything, even cruder.
Consider, for example, Guerin's argument
from meaning for his inclusion thesis that every anarchist is a
([1], p.12).
socialist
It is this:-
Anarchism is really a synonym
for socialism.
The anarchist is primarly a socialist whose aim
is to abolish the exploitation of man by man.
Anarchism is only one of the streams of socialist
thought, that stream whose main components are
concern for liberty and haste to abolish the State.
This is inconsistent:
for if anarchism is really a synonym for
then anarchism is no sub-variety of socialism,
socialism,/but identical with it.
In fact the terms are far from
synonymous, as perusal of a better dictionary would have revealed,
and neither includes the other in meaning:
that is all.
there is overlap, and
An environmental anarchist's aims extend further than
abolishing the exploitation of man by man, it also includes ending
the exploitation of other things, natural items
by man.
in particular,
This is, of course, by not the only respect in which
anarchism may differ from socialism;
for it may well reject the
collectiv-istassumptions of socialism, the public ownership of all
the means of productions, etc.
Guerin not only relies on the
synonymy claim but goes so far as to say that 'today the terms
"anarchist" and "libertarian" have become interchangeable'.
By
transitivity then, "libertarian" and "socialist" are interchangeable
so Nozick, also is a libertarian, is a socialist:
this would come
as a surprise to Nozick.
Chomsky's argument that the consistent anarchist is a
socialist (in his Introduction to [1], p.XO) is more elaborate
and devious but equally invalid.
Chomsky's moves begin with
several appeals to authority, to the anarchist historian Rocker
(first introduced as an anarchist, and then as a socialist), to
Fischer (who simply asserted a version of the thesis in need of
defence) and to Bakunin
(who simply laid down the principle
that each member must be, to begin with, a socialist' in his
"anarchist manifesto",something which only reflects Bakunin's
narrowness, that he was only prepared to
admit
certain approved
types of anarchists to his projected revolutionary fraternity.
The appeal to authority can be no better than the arguments of the
authority, and unfortunately for Chomsky the remaining authority,
Rocker, does not deliver the arguments.
himself to modern
For a start he restricts
anarchism, thereby excluding such counter
examples to the inclusion thesis as Thoreau.
Secondly Rocker's
argument from the 'realities of capitalist economic
forms'
and the resulting 'exploitation of man by man' does not show that
'anarchism is necessarily anti-capitalist', but only that it is
opposed to the tried forms of large-scale capitalism.
Small-scale
capitalism, for example with appropriate technology, is not
ruled out thereby;
and nor are anarchist's who would incorporate
such features into their theory.
Thirdly, Rocker simply assumes
in his view that modern anarchism is the confluence of socialism
and liberalism, that it must be one or the other (it is not the
one he thinks, so by Disjunctive Syllogism, it must be the other):
but the dichotomy is a false one, as we have already seen.
Chomsky's direct argument for his qualified**" inclusion
thesis begins thus:
Any consistent anarchist must oppose private
ownership of the means of production and the
wage-slavery which is a component of this system,
as incompatible with the principle that labor
must be freely undertaken and under the control
of the producer
(p.xiii).
Libertarian anarchists would deny this.
'The means of
production' is ambiguous as between 'some means (or methods)
of production; and 'all means of production'.
1 Need we wonder what becomes of the inconsistent anarchist?
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Letter, Fred to Richard Sylvan re: Interested in draft paper ‘Behind left and right’ by
Sylvan. (1 leaf)
2. Photocopy of eight pages from Moore B (1972) Reflections on the causes of human
misery and upon certain proposals to eliminate them, Allen Lane. (4 leaves)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of four pages from Russell B (1935) In praise of idleness and other
essays, Allen & Unwin. (2 leaves)
2. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
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The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
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cases.
.
themselves.
BIEDENKOPF IGNORED
Although the symposium was entitled
Multinationals in
Muller (American University, Washington D.C.) had thrown
few heretical thoughts into the discussion - but they were
ignored.
on trust
bevond question", said Biedenkopf,
"that in the new economic order? which is characterized above
all by confrontation ^tween industrial ^ates^an^_^ey^^^„
countries, the role of private prope^ y
<ri ^i-,a T-d^rivitv of the concept of property
Biedenkopf compared the relati
y
German industry,
with that of patent Paction. As long a=,ue
in the last century, lagged
J?^fa Q^y ^hen German
consistently against paten
j_ ^<g Bismarck became an
industry had caught up with England s,
advocate of patent protection.
Biedenkopf said that claims to
^gyg^iimited in time;
than patent claims, since P^^^J^^tess
"Should the
holdi^g^of^private ^stments in developing countries^not^
allow the most important industrial and
be in foreign hands.
WHAT IS THE " BERNE DECLARATION "
"Berne Declaration":
development policy.
theologians.
original name of a manifesto on Swiss
Published in 1968 on the initiative of some
The Declaration was signed by over 10,000 persons, who thus
made a financial and political commitment (e.g. to giving
up 1-3%'oftheir income to development aid for three years).
An organisation sprung from it which combines information
on the relationship between Switzerland and the Third World
with social and political action:
e.g. coffee campaign, meat renunciation campaign, evaluation
of school materials and children's books, campaign against arms
exports, etc.
No fund raising for projects abroad, financially independent and
not linked to any political party.
Membership:
Over 10,000 signatories of the original Declaration,
including about 1,200 members of the Association "For Development
in Solidarity".
For further reading on this topic we recommend:
Richard J. Barnet and Ronald E. Muller.
Global Reach:
The Power of the Multinational Corporations
Published by Simon & Schuster, New York 1974 (US$ 11.95)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
2. Letter, [?], Philosophy Department, University of Queensland to Richard, 2 Jul 1993 re
update on review of the Word Society and Kaldor tax. (1 leaf)
,,
Democracy within
ANARCHY,
and
'
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DEMANARCHY
Present electoral arrangements offer what? What presently have is a competative game
between competating blocks of the ruling elite (with professional power-brokers who trade with
each other their patronage and cites/br the acclaimed right to govern.
Thus elections hardly represent a genuine expression of agreement by the populace to be
governed; rather they are occasions when the populace is duped into supporting one or other
elite team.
For the most part power is concentrated in organisations which are not elected not
controlled by the people effected by their contractions and not representative.
By and large, satisfactory democratic arrangements will not be participatory (see
Burnheim).
are valuable for limited purposes, viz. as/a//
. satisfactory in general (p.91). There is no need to dissent.
B argues that they are not
1. Encourage those without interest in, or not genuinely affected by issue not to vote.
2. only structural, not material issu^to refs. Certainly not material moral issues, for
instance, not capital punishment, not abortion.
has the wrong etymology and the wrong meaning for anarchist purposes. It
the office of a demarch [a president, chief magistrate, major or govemnorj; a popular
government. The municipal body of a modem Greek commune' (OED). Anarchism recognises
no chiefs or leaders, even democratic ones or demogogues. What can be done very simply,
however, is to enlarge the word by a simple important syllable 'an', giving
The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Flyer, Australian National University Centre for Resource and Environment Studies Seminar,
Resource development dilemmas in Indochina by Dr Philip Hirsh, 24 Oct 1991. With
handwritten annotations. (1 leaf)
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ism? I take
; ___
Why does democracy entai 1 anarchy and social
The
democracy to be government of the people by the people.
not
is
It
'Which people are we talking about?",
question is:
democratic,
I presume, for the people of Sydney to be deciding
'minding
whether or not Melbourne has trams. They would not be
I
assume
their own business" as we say. So for these reasons
by
affected
that the people are those people who are primarily
perhaps
the decision. OK, -some are affected more than others and
by an?/
everyone is affected a little bit, albeit unnoticeably,
or if you like
So that"s why I say 'primarily'
decision,
There will be difficulty in many cases in knowing
'mostly".
the
someone is affected sufficently to get into
whether
By and
electorate, but we needn"t get too up tight about that.
large people will be the best judge of that themselves.
Now if society operated in some such way, there could be no
laws in the common sense of 'law". For a law is a decision to the
effect that everyone of a certain type will be constrained to
behave in a certain fashion. But the people who are primarily
affected by the people of that type being constrained in that way
will vary from time to time, so that, in a democracy, such a law
could be deemed to be operative only for as long as the people
primarily affected by it (a) remained the same and (b) had no
wish to change their behaviour - and that, for anything a lawyer
would call a law would be to all intents and purposes no time! at
Dead
all.
Hence the truly democratic society will be lawless,
people are no longer affected by social decisions they helped to
make.
So any such social decisions must be remade by the new
electorate.
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Similarly, democracy entails socialism, where by socialism I
mean the public control of the means of production, distribution
Producing, distributing and exchanging are all
and exchange.
acts, which, if made democratically, are made publicly - by those
Those
members of the public that are primarily affected.
primarily affected will be those who are required to do the work,
those who receive the goods or services produced, and those who
e.g.
suffer the negative effects of the industrial decision,
deprivation of wealth or income, unemployment or pollution.
Democracy does not entail optimum freedom, if that means
optimum satisfaction. However, on the assumption that people will
want to maximise their satisfaction, they should prefer optimally
satisfying decision procedures in the democratic decision making
processes. Given that they are rational in this regard, they will
therefore opt for rational conflict resolution procedures rather
than merely counting heads, hands or ballot papers.
I take it that you don"t need counterexamples to show the
invalidity of arguing from anarchy or socialism to democracy.
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Cutting (two pages) from a Griffith University National Institute for Law, Ethics and Public
Affairs publication. Article 'The church in a liberal society' has handwritten annotations. (1 leaf)
The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Annotated photocopy of six pages from MacIntyre A (1988) Whose justice? Which rationality?,
Notre Dame. (3 leaves)
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CHARACTERISING ANARCHISM: reaching the core of anarchism
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Annotated cutting (photocopy) of New Scientist (15 July 1999) 'Let them eat yellowcake', New
Scientist, 123(1673):3. (1 leaf)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
2. Annotated cutting (photocopy) of Jacobs, M (August 1989) 'Green blues in Europe',
Australian Society, 32-33. (2 leaves)
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The present situation can be summarised in terms of certainties
and uncertainties.
The certainties are:
There are limits to the absorptive capacity (of technological
waste products and toxic substances), resilience, and
adaptability of biological systems - a principle which
applies as much to the biosphere as a whole as it does
to local ecosystems and to individual organisms.
1.
,______________________rin
2.
The present pattern of increasing per capita
resources, discharge of technological wastes and use of
J__ 2.3 is
ecologically unsustainable:
energy in human ___
society
if it is 1not
-- brought under control through' deliberate
-- as
— a
societal action, it will come to an end either
consequence of depletion of mineral resources or, more
nf
seriously, as the result of irreversible damage to the
biosphere caused by technological waste products.
The uncertainties are:
1 How much longer the biosphere can continue to P^^ *
suitable habitat tor humanity given the present pattern of
industrial productivity.
Which particular culturally-induced environmental changes
2.
represent the greatest threat to the integrity o the
biosphere.
Which cultural phenomena are the most critical m causing
undesirable change in the biosphere .
3.
t
For example, social goals, patterns of investment, favoured
technologies, modes of decision-making, loci of power J
use of machines powered by extrasomatic energy (e.g. fossil
fuels). As a consequence of these developments, the ecological
impact of the human species (as expressed in terms of energy use)
is now about 15,000 times greater than it was at the time of the
domestic transition.
98 percent of this increase has occurred
since 1800 AD, and 80 percent in the last 50 years.
It is certain that the biosphere, as a dynamic system capable of
supporting the human species, will not be able to tolerate this
continuing intensification of technometabolism (i.e. use of
energy and resources and discharge of technological wastes by the
human population) indefinitely.
.
* . -t
ecologically sustainable.
*
Phase Four human society is not
/^e^/ dyx-^7
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If humans are to continue to exist in the biosphere, they must
devise a nee societal system (or systems) , such that their needs
can be satisfied with a more modest rate of resource and energy
use than that which at present prevails in the high-energy
societies.
Certain essential characteristics, or biosocral imperatives of
^t^-new societal system are clear .
.
rhe additional ecological load now imposed
on the biosphere by human society is, in energy terms, equivalent
to about 5 percent of the total ecological load imposed by all
other animals and plants put together.
If the technometabolism
of human society as a whole continues to intensify at the same
rate as it has over the past 20 years, by the year 2100 human
beings will be using as much energy, and consequently having as
much impact on the biosphere, as all other existing forms of
life. In fact, it is highly unlikely that the biosphere would be
able to tolerate this eventuality.
Moreover, many authors are of
the opinion that the biosphere would not be able to withstand an
intensification of technometabolism in the developing countries
of the world such that it reached the present level of intensity
characteristic of the modern high-energy societies^-J:t^t^is, 5
times the present global level of technometabolism)Indeed,-^
7^533= *=^ady mentionetA i
is clear that the biosphere will not be
able to tolerate indefinitely even the present pattern of
technometabolism.
Four important biosocial imperatives can be stated as follows:
*
1.
The si2e of the Auman population must be stable.
2.
The overall rate of resource and energy use and of
technological waste production by society fi.e. the intensity
of technometabolism? must be steady for decreasing?.
This
rate must be considerably lower than that characteristic of
the high-energy societies at the present time.
3.
The organisation of society and the economic system must be
such that human health, well-being and enjoyment of life do
not depend on continually increasing per capita use of
resources and energy and production of technological wastes.
4.
The organisation of society and the economic system must be
such that high rates of employment* are not dependent on
increasing consumption of the products of resource—intensive
anc? ener^ry-in tensive industry.
distribution of natural resources, should be an essential aim of
society at both regional and global levels.
Moreover, it is also
assumed that all societal activities that threaten the integrity
of the biosphere must cease — including the manufacture, storage
and deployment of nuclear weapons.
It is self-evident that these biosocial imperatives raise some
important questions about the future of human society.
The FQP
is based on the view that consideration of these questions is an
urgent matter, and that serious thought should now be given to
the design of a new society which, for an indefinite period,
satisfies the health and well-being needs both of the biosphere^-
*
**
The actual size of this sustainable stable population will
depend on its pattern of resource and energy use. The higher
the intensity of technometabolism, the smaller the
sustainable human population.
For the purposes of this Program, 25 percent of the present
per capita intensity of technometabolism in the high-energy
societies will be taken initially as a reasonable societal
objective.
*** The word employment is used here in a broad sense to include
all direct or indirect subsistence activities that are
associated with a sense of personal involvement and purpose.
(Indirect subsistence activities are those which are aimed at
providing subsistence but which do not involve the direct
acquisition of food from its place of origin. Working for
wages with which to procure food and shelter is thus an
indirect subsistence activity).
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//
r
WORLD ORDER, CULTURAL CONVERGENCE
AND REGIONAL CULTURAL AUTONOMY
The success of Australia's relations with the Pacific Island States
will be based upon the practical and sustained recognition that no one
culture is basically superior to another, -that each and every
[traditional]
culture, together with its social, polLtical and
economic ingredients, have a measuring and value
...
that our new
found freedoms [and independence] were fought so that to a significant
degree a renaissance of Melanesian values, principles and expectations
can take place (Lini, p.ll and p.6).
World order with regional cultural autonomy is a highly desirable goal.
It
is an objective not only of political leaders such as Lini but also of ambitious
proposals such as Mazrui's world federation of cultures J But there is
evidence
that, despite its prime facte plausibility and appeal, it is an impossible goal.
There are various routes to this most unwelcome conclusion.
Mazrui admits that tris 'approach
Consider first Mazrui's cultural paradox.
to
appears
have
But it is worse than that:
contradictory aims' (M p.9).
approach is contradictory, almost as it stands, and Mazrui
way out.
to
the
next premiss:
calculations.
reform
as
a
problem of building up
on
'To get mankind to agree to a new world system [one with
social
reasoning
and
Consensus behind three or four values will need consensus
behind many more supporting values and perspectives.
world
clear
In Mazrui's terms, which leal
order], we need to give mankind that shared framework of
social
no
The argument proceeds as follows:
World order implies a certain consensus.
Pl.
indicates
the
problem
of
supporting
mobilizing
values;
...
consensus;
and
we
see
In
summary,
w*
s <e
we see consensus as a
this
latter
as
an
outgrowth of cultural convergence' (M p.l).
P2.
Such consensus implies [substantial]
cultural
convergence.
In
Mazrui's
'World order...': as mentioned before, I think you should take into account
the world order writings of people such as Richard Falk (A Study of Future Worlds,
etc.) and Johan Galtung (The True Worlds, etc.).
'Consensus
formulation,
behind much-needed world reforms is impossible without
substantial cultural convergence on a global scale' (M p.9).
[Substantial]
P3.
Mazrul's
cultural
formulation:
'the
convergence
In
which the world has so far
convergence
cultural
dependence.
cultural
implies
attained carries with it the evil of dependency'.
P4.
Cultural dependence is incompatible with regional cultural autonomy.
Hence, by P1-P4, world order is incompatible with
and
world order with such regional autonomy is impossible.
hence
is valid, but some of the premisses can
of P2 with Pl.
produce
cultural
regional
be
certainly
shaken,
autonomy,
The argument
the
especially
Even so, no matter how hard they are shaken the problem
cannot be entirely removed.
*****
There is no general solution to the
cultural
regional
This
autonomy.
problem
result
of
world
order
maintaining
is an application of a generalised
Arrow's Theorem.in the application, world options or courses-of-action are the
regional cultures are the factors.
and
alternatives,
Then the factor rankings
are different cultural rankings of the world options.
that
is
there
no
dominant
culture,
no
cultural dictator.
conditions can be assumed satisfied, or satisfied by
result
Regional autonomy implies
Since the other
adjustments 3,
the
dismal
given that world order it taken to require overall rankings of
follows,
world options.
Although a general solution is impossible, a solution
possible
confront.
however
for
all
the
choices
world
a
federation
Given the environmental and economic
that
seems
increasingly
unlikely:
choices
more
may
be
nonetheless
cultures ever has to
of
that
and
are
more,
being
made
because
environmental dependence, choices made by one culture spill over into others.
2
of
The resolutions hitherto have primarily been
cultural
assimilation.
the
And
by
cultural
arsenal of defences, ranging from explicit claims of cultural
claims
through
down
superiority
of democratic cultural adjustment .(tribal voting with the feet)
tn the face of technological superiority and improved "standards of living"
least
registered
as
imported
by
e.g.
relatively easy to shatter;
dominant
culture
ranked
highly,
concerning local environments);
etc.
economics).
the
of
Many
superiority
is
these
only
(at
defences are
in
the
things
not in other matters (such as discrimination
the improved "standards of living" often enough
from leisurely lives of primitive affluence to "wage slaves",
people
converted
and
been backed up by
has
domination
cultural
domination
Some of the evangelical defences are harder to break.
While it is easy in
hindsight to see that there was little justification for imposing religions like
various forms of Christianity in the way they were imposed on other
gentler
or
militarily weaker cultures, the same is not seen in regard to ideologies such as
positivistic science of mainstream economics.
Perhaps most
more
that
dangerous
than
pretentious
the
idea
main Western culture is the
guardian of the truth, is the idea that it has a special
Rationality
is
tool
a
all,
of
dangerous
hold
on
rationality.
that can be applied to justify convergence to orthodox
Western norms.
A world federation of cultures - an Integrated world culture, so almost
to
say - appears to afford a viable alternative to world government, as a source of
world order in particular.
firstly,
it
is
a
what
'we
it
less remote prospect:
than we were a century ago;
Secondly,
Moreover,
should
is
preferable
alternative,
-'we are no nearer a world government
but we are much nearer to world culture'
be
since,
(t
p.2).
aiming for are internalised controls [those of
culture], based on new human inclinations,
rather
organisational mechanisms [government]' (M p.2).
than
external
not.
governmental,
typically
by
Thirdly, cultural controls and
liaisons permit flexibility, regional autonomy, and so on,
rigid
controls
in
ways
that
more
authoritive and externally imposed, controls do
There is evidence, furthermore, from a
range
of
indigenous
cultures
-
Melanesian cultures are ]ust one group of examples - that culture can substitute
Hie vision of a well-ordered
for government.
cultures
government
without
it
anarchists;
especially
is
goes
of
federation
back,
of
course,
prominent
in
the
organisations
to
the
century
and
of
convergence
to
Bakunin
of
work
19th
or
Kroprotkin.
To make the vision work does not however require
the
Mazrui
extent
imagines;
it
does not require a single shared culture
essence, a single characterising feature
is wanted
in
the
rope
strands [the regional cultures
need
as
sought
where a family resemblance is what
A model for a world federation is given Wittgenstein s rope picture.
strands
Various
erroneously
Mazrui has
shared cultural universe, or one world culture
an
cultura1
overlap and criss-cross
It is this overlap of
that give the rope its strength
usually does, run through the length of the rope.
But no
strand
So similarly there
need be no shared or common culture for a world federation, or rope, of culttires
to have strength, and to ensure thereby world order.
regional cultures overlap one another suitably.
it
will
not
follow
that
It is enough that adjacent
Nor is overlap transitive;
there must be something shared.
so
This rope model of
cultures may be alternatively described in other family ways , e.g
in terms
of
a network of cultures.
FOOTNOTES
1.
For these objectives see Mazrui's Introduction, p.l ff. Here as elsewhere in
text, author's names double as references.
2.
On the generalisation see Routley.
3.
For methods of adjustment, e.g. completing rankings, see again Routley.
REFERENCES
O. Lint, 'Keynote Address', Australia and the South Pacific,
Proceedings on a
Conference
held
at the Australian National University, Centre for
Continuing Education, Canberra, 1982.
A.A. Mazrui, A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective, Free Press,
New York" 1*976. All page references prefixed M are to this work.
R. Routley, 'On the impossibility of an orthodox social theory and of an
orthodox solution to environmental problems', Logique et Analyse 23 (1980)
145-166.
K. Lehrer and C. Wagner, Rational consensus
Rolland, 1981.
Science
in
and
Society,
Re Idel,
1. It is widely assumed that cultural convergence is a good thing, to
NOTES
promoted.
This
is the operational assumption in Lehrer and Wanner, who want to
see the conditions for
everywhere
their
(fortunately,
fail for important real
excessive
be
cultural
Markov
convergence
theorem
applying
virtually
of course, the conditions are pretty restrictive, and
life
cases).
convergence
is
There
not
are
good
reasons
for
thinking
a good thing. Certainly some cases of
convergence are undecidable.
Experimental testing of convergence (Defi groups) showed that
when
convergence,
occurred, tended to confirm the status quo. Methods of convergence are
it
essentially conservative. Both locally and on a larger scene such methods can be
damaging,
in several respects. They undercut the perhaps otherwise positions of
minorities. And they can reinforce the posltLon of dangerous power triggers.
Consider what would happen - what appears to be happening -
scene
the
world
where we have, in some measure, "enforced convergence". What we would be
headed for - what we are headed for ts imposition
western
in
paradigm,
with
its
economism,
5
everywhere
violence
of
and
the
dominant
environmental
* "
destructiveness. Lower cultures are progressively undermined.
buddhism,
which
stand
opposed
to
main
afford just one conspicuous example. (The
useful
working
example.)
Buddhism
is
Those
practicing
directions of the dominant paradigm,
American
right
out
impact
of-
on
step
Thailand
with
is
a
economism,
encouraging as it does removal of consumerist ambitions, and it is dianetrically
opposed
to
violence and like destructive practices. (Thus to pull Buddhism out
of the educational curriculum, as in the fairly recent American-inspired,
constitution,
their
is not the enlightened step it is usually seen as: to be sure, it
is "progressive" enough, but in a direction more of us should not be headed.)
2. Total consensus represents a limit of convergence. Consensus also
its serious limitations then.
6
has
WORLD ORDER, CULTURAL CONVERGENCE
AND REGIONAL CULTURAL AUTONOMY
The success of Australia's relations with the Pacific Island States
will be based upon the practical and sustained recognition that no one
culture is basically superior to another, that each and every
[traditional]
culture, together with its social, political and
economic ingredients, have a measuring and value ...
that our new
found freedoms [and independence] were fought so that to a significant
degree a renaissance of Melanesian values, principles and expectations
can take place (Lini, p.ll and p.6).
World order with regional cultural autonomy is a highly desirable goal.
It
is an objective not only of political leaders such as Lini but also of ambitious
proposals such as Mazrui's world federation of cultures.But there is
evidence
that, despite its prima facie plausibility and appeal, it is an impossible goal.
There are various routes to this most unwelcome conclusion.
Consider first Mazrui's cultural paradox.
appears
to
have
Mazrui admits that his 'approach
But it is worse than that:
contradictory aims' (M p.9).
approach is contradictory, almost as it stands, and Mazrui
way out.
to
the
next premiss:
calculations.
reform
as
a
problem of building up
on
'To get mankind to agree to a new world system [one with
social
reasoning
and
Consensus behind three or four values will need consensus
behind many more supporting values and perspectives.
world
clear
In Mazrui's terms, which lead
order], we need to give mankind that shared framework of
social
no
The argument proceeds as follows:
World order implies a certain consensus.
Pl.
indicates
the
problem
of
supporting
mobilizing
values;
...
consensus;
and
we
see
In
summary,
we
see
we see consensus as a
this
latter
as
an
outgrowth of cultural convergence' (M p.l).
P2.
Such consensus implies [substantial]
cultural
convergence.
In
Mazrui's
formulation,
'Consensus
behind much-needed world reforms is impossible without
substantial cultural convergence on a global scale' (M p.9).
[Substantial]
P3.
cultural
formulation:
Mazrui's
'the
implies
convergence
cultural
dependence.
cultural
In
which the world has so far
convergence
attained carries with it the evil of dependency'.
P4.
Cultural dependence is incompatible with regional cultural autonomy.
Hence, by P1-P4, world order is incompatible with
and
cultural
world order with such regional autonomy is impossible.
hence
is valid, but some of the premisses can
of P2 with Pl.
produce
regional
certainly
shaken,
be
autonomy,
The argument
especially
the
Even so, no matter how hard they are shaken the problem
cannot be entirely removed.
*****
problem
There is no general solution to the
regional
This
autonomy.
cultural
result
of
order
world
maintaining
is an application of a generalised
Arrow's Theorem.in the application, world options or courses-of-action are the
alternatives,
regional cultures are the factors.
and
Then the factor rankings
are different cultural rankings of the world options.
that
is
there
no
dominant
culture,
no
cultural dictator.
conditions can be assumed satisfied, or satisfied by
result
Regional autonomy implies
Since the other
adjustments 3,
the
dismal
given that world order it taken to require overall rankings of
follows,
world options.
Although a general solution is impossible, a solution
possible
confront.
however
for
all
the
choices
world
a
federation
Given the environmental and economic
that
seems
increasingly
unlikely:
choices
more
may
be
nonetheless
cultures ever has to
of
that
and
are
more,
being
made
because
environmental dependence, choices made by one culture spill over into others.
2
of
The resolutions hitherto have primarily been
cultural
the
And
assimilation.
cultural
by
cultural
arsenal of defences, ranging from explicit claims of cultural
claims
through
down
superiority
of democratic cultural adjustment (tribal voting with the feet)
in the face of technological superiority and improved "standards of living"
least
registered
as
ranked
culture
e.g.
people
converted
etc.
the
superiority
of
is
these
only
(at
defences are
in
things
the
not in other matters (such as discrimination
highly,
concerning local environments);
Many
economics).
imported
by
relatively easy to shatter;
dominant
and
been backed up by
has
domination
domination
the improved "standards of living" often enough
from leisurely lives of primitive affluence to "wage slaves",
Some of the evangelical defences are harder to break.
While it is easy in
hindsight to see that there was little justification for imposing religions like
various forms of Christianity in the way they were imposed on other
gentler
or
militarily weaker cultures, the same is not seen in regard to ideologies such as
positivistic science of mainstream economics.
more
dangerous
than
pretentious
the
idea
Perhaps most
that
is
tool
a
all,
main Western culture is the
guardian of the truth, is the idea that it has a special
Rationality
of
dangerous
hold
on
rationality.
that can be applied to justify convergence to orthodox
Western norms.
A world federation of cultures - an integrated world culture, so almost
to
say - appears to afford a viable alternative to world government, as a source of
world order in particular.
firstly,
it
is
a
what
'we
it
less remote prospect:
than we were a century ago;
Secondly,
Moreover,
should
is
preferable
alternative,
'we are no nearer a world government
but we are much nearer to world culture'
be
since,
(M
p.2).
aiming for are internalised controls [those of
3
culture], based on new human inclinations,
than
rather
organisational mechanisms [government]' (M p.2).
typically
governmental,
in
ways
more
that
authoritive and externally imposed, controls do
There is evidence, furthermore, from a
not.
by
Thirdly, cultural controls and
liaisons permit flexibility, regional autonomy, and so on,
rigid
controls
external
range
of
indigenous
cultures
-
Melanesian cultures are just one group of examples — that culture can substitute
The vision of a well-ordered
for government.
government
without
cultures
it
anarchists;
especially
is
back,
of
course,
prominent
in
the
goes
organisations
of
federation
the
to
century
and
of
convergence
to
Bakunin
of
work
19th
or
Kroprotkin.
To make the vision work does not however require
Mazrui
extent
the
imagines;
does not require a single shared culture , a
it
shared cultural universe, or one world culture.
an
cultural
erroneously
Mazrui has
sought
essence, a single characterising feature, where a family resemblance is what
is wanted.
Various
A model for a world federation is given Wittgenstein's rope picture.
strands
in
the
rope
overlap and criss-cross.
It is this overlap of
strands [the regional cultures] that give the rope its strength.
need,
as
usually does, run through the length of the rope.
But no
strand
So similarly there
need be no shared or common culture for a world federation, or rope, of cultures
to have strength, and to ensure thereby world order.
regional cultures overlap one another suitably.
it
will
not
follow
that
It is enough that adjacent
Nor is overlap transitive;
there must be something shared.
so
This rope model of
cultures may be alternatively described in other family ways, e.g.
in terms
of
a network of cultures.
FOOTNOTES
1.
For these objectives see Mazrui's Introduction, p.l ff. Here as elsewhere in
text, author's names double as references.
4
2.
On the generalisation see Routley.
3.
For methods of adjustment, e.g. completing rankings, see again Routley.
REFERENCES
W. Lini, 'Keynote Address', Australia and the South Pacific, Proceedings on a
Conference
held
at the Australian National University, Centre for
Continuing Education, Canberra, 1982.
A.A. Mazrui, A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective, Free Press,
New York, 1976. All page references prefixed M are to this work.
R. Routley, 'On the impossibility of an orthodox social theory and of an
orthodox solution to environmental problems', Logique et Analyse 23 (1980)
145-166.
K. Lehrer and C. Wagner, Rational consensus
in
Science
and
Society,
Reidel,
Holland, 1981.
1. It is widely assumed that cultural convergence is a good thing, to
NOTES
promoted.
This
is the operational assumption in Lehrer and Wagner, who want to
see the conditions for
everywhere
their
(fortunately,
fail for important real
excessive
be
cultural
Markov
convergence
theorem
applying
virtually
of course, the conditions are pretty restrictive, and
life
cases).
convergence
is
There
not
are
good
reasons
for
thinking
a good thing. Certainly some cases of
convergence are undecidable.
Experimental testing of convergence (Defi groups) showed that
occurred, tended to confirm the status quo. Methods of convergence are
it
when
convergence,
essentially conservative. Both locally and on a larger scene such methods can be
damaging,
in several respects. They undercut the perhaps otherwise positions of
minorities. And they can reinforce the position of dangerous power triggers.
Consider what would happen - what appears to be happening -
scene,
the
world
where we have, in some measure, "enforced convergence". What we would be
headed for - what we are headed for is imposition
western
in
paradigm,
with
its
economism,
5
everywhere
violence
of
and
the
dominant
environmental
destructiveness. Lower cultures are progressively undermined.
which
Buddhism,
stand
opposed
to
main
afford just one conspicuous example. (The
useful
working
example.)
Buddhism
is
Those
practicing
directions of the dominant paradigm,
American
right
out
impact
of
on
step
Thailand
with
is
a
economism,
encouraging as it does removal of consumerist ambitions, and it is dianetrically
opposed
to
violence and like destructive practices. (Thus to pull Buddhism out
of the educational curriculum, as in the fairly recent American-inspired,
constitution,
their
is not the enlightened step it is usually seen as: to be sure, it
is "progressive" enough, but in a direction more of us should not be headed.)
2. Total consensus represents a limit of convergence. Consensus also
its serious limitations then
has
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landscape', Daedalus, 94:474–486. (1 leaf)
Z^7b
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,
x^L.
BEHIND LEFT AND RIGHT:
ENVIRONMENTAL ANARCHISM.
There are forms of anarchism which represent a new political
^dimension outside the lineal left-right classification.
Of course
these forms of anarchism have features in common with rightist
positions (forms of capitalism and "free" enterprise) and with
of
leftist positions (formsXsocialism and communism) and currently
with both.
But they reject crucial features of both, and, more
to the point, assumptions upon which the classification of the
conventional right-left political spectrum is based.These are
assumptions of central control of a state, of control of the means
of production
(on the one side by private individuals and on the
other side by the people or a committee supposedly representing
them), of ownership of property (privately versus publicly) , and
overarching all these the familiar assumptions of human chauvinism
(e.g. those discussed in [1], such as that all of value resides in
humankind or answers back to human interests).
There are forms
of anarchism - especially environmental anarchisms, the working
out of the character of which is one of the main objectives - which
reject, or importantly qualify, all these assumptions.
There has been a concerted, but intellectually fradulent,
attempt by statements of both right and left to absorb anarchism
as theirs.
For example, Nozick [2] and others to the right try
to represent anarchism as fitting into their libertarian scheme.
Nozick (in his final chapter) outlines a framework for utopias, a
generous framework which would include most anarchist options;
but
1 As might be expected the right-left classification is not a single
thing, but a bundle of different, and not mutually consistent,
classifications.
In the sense in which 'right' means 'conservative
for example, in contrast to 'left' as 'non-conservative', the
dichotomy is exhaustive, but then the distinction is a different
one from that under discussion and attack. The origin of the
classification would hardly lead one to anticipate completeness.
The members of continental parliaments who sat on the right or the
left hardly exhausted the range of political positions, especially
those in opposition to such a centralised state mechanism of
cont..
1.1
control and concentration of power.
In the end the right
left 'distinction' is to be left behind: it is only some
thing to hang an introduction on.
From a philosophical viewpoint there is hardly a more
interesting word in English than 'right' with 24 headings
in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, several of major philosophical
importance, and by no means all of the senses there are
untangled.
2.
he goes on, without any discernible argument,to claim - what
certainly seems false
that the framework for utopias is nothing
but his minimal state.
Both this minimal state and the arguments
for it are, however, decidedly objectionable at least from
anarchist viewpoints not to the right, in particular which reject
the propertarians or chauvinistic assumptions slipped into the
bottom of Nozick's position.
(The criticism of Nozick is so far
no more than a set of memos:
it will have to be spelled out.)
The attempted take-over bid by the left is sometimes if
anything, even cruder.
Consider, for example, Guerin's argument
from meaning for his inclusion thesis that every anarchist is a
([1], p.12).
socialist
It is this:-
Anarchism is really a synonym
for socialism.
The anarchist is primarly a socialist whose aim
is to abolish the exploitation of man by man.
Anarchism is only one of the streams of socialist
thought, that stream whose main components are
concern for liberty and haste to abolish the State.
This is inconsistent:
for if anarchism is really a synonym for
then anarchism is no sub-variety of socialism,
socialism,/but identical with it.
In fact the terms are far from
synonymous, as perusal of a better dictionary would have revealed,
and neither includes the other in meaning:
that is all.
there is overlap, and
An environmental anarchist's aims extend further than
abolishing the exploitation of man by man, it also includes ending
the exploitation of other things, natural items
by man.
in particular,
This is, of course, by not the only respect in which
anarchism may differ from socialism;
for it may well reject the
collectiv-istassumptions of socialism, the public ownership of all
the means of productions, etc.
Guerin not only relies on the
synonymy claim but goes so far as to say that 'today the terms
"anarchist" and "libertarian" have become interchangeable'.
By
transitivity then, "libertarian" and "socialist" are interchangeable
so Nozick, also is a libertarian, is a socialist:
this would come
as a surprise to Nozick.
Chomsky's argument that the consistent anarchist is a
socialist (in his Introduction to [1], p.XO) is more elaborate
and devious but equally invalid.
Chomsky's moves begin with
several appeals to authority, to the anarchist historian Rocker
(first introduced as an anarchist, and then as a socialist), to
Fischer (who simply asserted a version of the thesis in need of
defence) and to Bakunin
(who simply laid down the principle
that each member must be, to begin with, a socialist' in his
"anarchist manifesto",something which only reflects Bakunin's
narrowness, that he was only prepared to
admit
certain approved
types of anarchists to his projected revolutionary fraternity.
The appeal to authority can be no better than the arguments of the
authority, and unfortunately for Chomsky the remaining authority,
Rocker, does not deliver the arguments.
himself to modern
For a start he restricts
anarchism, thereby excluding such counter
examples to the inclusion thesis as Thoreau.
Secondly Rocker's
argument from the 'realities of capitalist economic
forms'
and the resulting 'exploitation of man by man' does not show that
'anarchism is necessarily anti-capitalist', but only that it is
opposed to the tried forms of large-scale capitalism.
Small-scale
capitalism, for example with appropriate technology, is not
ruled out thereby;
and nor are anarchist's who would incorporate
such features into their theory.
Thirdly, Rocker simply assumes
in his view that modern anarchism is the confluence of socialism
and liberalism, that it must be one or the other (it is not the
one he thinks, so by Disjunctive Syllogism, it must be the other):
but the dichotomy is a false one, as we have already seen.
Chomsky's direct argument for his qualified**" inclusion
thesis begins thus:
Any consistent anarchist must oppose private
ownership of the means of production and the
wage-slavery which is a component of this system,
as incompatible with the principle that labor
must be freely undertaken and under the control
of the producer
(p.xiii).
Libertarian anarchists would deny this.
'The means of
production' is ambiguous as between 'some means (or methods)
of production; and 'all means of production'.
1 Need we wonder what becomes of the inconsistent anarchist?
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Letter, Fred to Richard Sylvan re: Interested in draft paper ‘Behind left and right’ by
Sylvan. (1 leaf)
2. Photocopy of eight pages from Moore B (1972) Reflections on the causes of human
misery and upon certain proposals to eliminate them, Allen Lane. (4 leaves)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of four pages from Russell B (1935) In praise of idleness and other
essays, Allen & Unwin. (2 leaves)
2. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
lf)f)%Racvch^ paper
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Photocopy of four pages from unidentified publication. (2 leaves)
The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication by Hobbes? (1 leaf)
/
cases.
.
themselves.
BIEDENKOPF IGNORED
Although the symposium was entitled
Multinationals in
Muller (American University, Washington D.C.) had thrown
few heretical thoughts into the discussion - but they were
ignored.
on trust
bevond question", said Biedenkopf,
"that in the new economic order? which is characterized above
all by confrontation ^tween industrial ^ates^an^_^ey^^^„
countries, the role of private prope^ y
<ri ^i-,a T-d^rivitv of the concept of property
Biedenkopf compared the relati
y
German industry,
with that of patent Paction. As long a=,ue
in the last century, lagged
J?^fa Q^y ^hen German
consistently against paten
j_ ^<g Bismarck became an
industry had caught up with England s,
advocate of patent protection.
Biedenkopf said that claims to
^gyg^iimited in time;
than patent claims, since P^^^J^^tess
"Should the
holdi^g^of^private ^stments in developing countries^not^
allow the most important industrial and
be in foreign hands.
WHAT IS THE " BERNE DECLARATION "
"Berne Declaration":
development policy.
theologians.
original name of a manifesto on Swiss
Published in 1968 on the initiative of some
The Declaration was signed by over 10,000 persons, who thus
made a financial and political commitment (e.g. to giving
up 1-3%'oftheir income to development aid for three years).
An organisation sprung from it which combines information
on the relationship between Switzerland and the Third World
with social and political action:
e.g. coffee campaign, meat renunciation campaign, evaluation
of school materials and children's books, campaign against arms
exports, etc.
No fund raising for projects abroad, financially independent and
not linked to any political party.
Membership:
Over 10,000 signatories of the original Declaration,
including about 1,200 members of the Association "For Development
in Solidarity".
For further reading on this topic we recommend:
Richard J. Barnet and Ronald E. Muller.
Global Reach:
The Power of the Multinational Corporations
Published by Simon & Schuster, New York 1974 (US$ 11.95)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
2. Letter, [?], Philosophy Department, University of Queensland to Richard, 2 Jul 1993 re
update on review of the Word Society and Kaldor tax. (1 leaf)
,,
Democracy within
ANARCHY,
and
'
.--7 '^;' '2
DEMANARCHY
Present electoral arrangements offer what? What presently have is a competative game
between competating blocks of the ruling elite (with professional power-brokers who trade with
each other their patronage and cites/br the acclaimed right to govern.
Thus elections hardly represent a genuine expression of agreement by the populace to be
governed; rather they are occasions when the populace is duped into supporting one or other
elite team.
For the most part power is concentrated in organisations which are not elected not
controlled by the people effected by their contractions and not representative.
By and large, satisfactory democratic arrangements will not be participatory (see
Burnheim).
are valuable for limited purposes, viz. as/a//
. satisfactory in general (p.91). There is no need to dissent.
B argues that they are not
1. Encourage those without interest in, or not genuinely affected by issue not to vote.
2. only structural, not material issu^to refs. Certainly not material moral issues, for
instance, not capital punishment, not abortion.
has the wrong etymology and the wrong meaning for anarchist purposes. It
the office of a demarch [a president, chief magistrate, major or govemnorj; a popular
government. The municipal body of a modem Greek commune' (OED). Anarchism recognises
no chiefs or leaders, even democratic ones or demogogues. What can be done very simply,
however, is to enlarge the word by a simple important syllable 'an', giving
The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Flyer, Australian National University Centre for Resource and Environment Studies Seminar,
Resource development dilemmas in Indochina by Dr Philip Hirsh, 24 Oct 1991. With
handwritten annotations. (1 leaf)
/
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ism? I take
; ___
Why does democracy entai 1 anarchy and social
The
democracy to be government of the people by the people.
not
is
It
'Which people are we talking about?",
question is:
democratic,
I presume, for the people of Sydney to be deciding
'minding
whether or not Melbourne has trams. They would not be
I
assume
their own business" as we say. So for these reasons
by
affected
that the people are those people who are primarily
perhaps
the decision. OK, -some are affected more than others and
by an?/
everyone is affected a little bit, albeit unnoticeably,
or if you like
So that"s why I say 'primarily'
decision,
There will be difficulty in many cases in knowing
'mostly".
the
someone is affected sufficently to get into
whether
By and
electorate, but we needn"t get too up tight about that.
large people will be the best judge of that themselves.
Now if society operated in some such way, there could be no
laws in the common sense of 'law". For a law is a decision to the
effect that everyone of a certain type will be constrained to
behave in a certain fashion. But the people who are primarily
affected by the people of that type being constrained in that way
will vary from time to time, so that, in a democracy, such a law
could be deemed to be operative only for as long as the people
primarily affected by it (a) remained the same and (b) had no
wish to change their behaviour - and that, for anything a lawyer
would call a law would be to all intents and purposes no time! at
Dead
all.
Hence the truly democratic society will be lawless,
people are no longer affected by social decisions they helped to
make.
So any such social decisions must be remade by the new
electorate.
/
y
/
/
k<
i -
Similarly, democracy entails socialism, where by socialism I
mean the public control of the means of production, distribution
Producing, distributing and exchanging are all
and exchange.
acts, which, if made democratically, are made publicly - by those
Those
members of the public that are primarily affected.
primarily affected will be those who are required to do the work,
those who receive the goods or services produced, and those who
e.g.
suffer the negative effects of the industrial decision,
deprivation of wealth or income, unemployment or pollution.
Democracy does not entail optimum freedom, if that means
optimum satisfaction. However, on the assumption that people will
want to maximise their satisfaction, they should prefer optimally
satisfying decision procedures in the democratic decision making
processes. Given that they are rational in this regard, they will
therefore opt for rational conflict resolution procedures rather
than merely counting heads, hands or ballot papers.
I take it that you don"t need counterexamples to show the
invalidity of arguing from anarchy or socialism to democracy.
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Cutting (two pages) from a Griffith University National Institute for Law, Ethics and Public
Affairs publication. Article 'The church in a liberal society' has handwritten annotations. (1 leaf)
The following has been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
Annotated photocopy of six pages from MacIntyre A (1988) Whose justice? Which rationality?,
Notre Dame. (3 leaves)
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CHARACTERISING ANARCHISM: reaching the core of anarchism
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Scientist, 123(1673):3. (1 leaf)
The following have been redacted from access file (PDF) due to copyright restrictions.
1. Annotated photocopy of two pages from unidentified publication. (1 leaf)
2. Annotated cutting (photocopy) of Jacobs, M (August 1989) 'Green blues in Europe',
Australian Society, 32-33. (2 leaves)
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CP-228-81 GTO
... - ----
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DATE DUE
DATE/^O 4p
'
------------------------
The present situation can be summarised in terms of certainties
and uncertainties.
The certainties are:
There are limits to the absorptive capacity (of technological
waste products and toxic substances), resilience, and
adaptability of biological systems - a principle which
applies as much to the biosphere as a whole as it does
to local ecosystems and to individual organisms.
1.
,______________________rin
2.
The present pattern of increasing per capita
resources, discharge of technological wastes and use of
J__ 2.3 is
ecologically unsustainable:
energy in human ___
society
if it is 1not
-- brought under control through' deliberate
-- as
— a
societal action, it will come to an end either
consequence of depletion of mineral resources or, more
nf
seriously, as the result of irreversible damage to the
biosphere caused by technological waste products.
The uncertainties are:
1 How much longer the biosphere can continue to P^^ *
suitable habitat tor humanity given the present pattern of
industrial productivity.
Which particular culturally-induced environmental changes
2.
represent the greatest threat to the integrity o the
biosphere.
Which cultural phenomena are the most critical m causing
undesirable change in the biosphere .
3.
t
For example, social goals, patterns of investment, favoured
technologies, modes of decision-making, loci of power J
use of machines powered by extrasomatic energy (e.g. fossil
fuels). As a consequence of these developments, the ecological
impact of the human species (as expressed in terms of energy use)
is now about 15,000 times greater than it was at the time of the
domestic transition.
98 percent of this increase has occurred
since 1800 AD, and 80 percent in the last 50 years.
It is certain that the biosphere, as a dynamic system capable of
supporting the human species, will not be able to tolerate this
continuing intensification of technometabolism (i.e. use of
energy and resources and discharge of technological wastes by the
human population) indefinitely.
.
* . -t
ecologically sustainable.
*
Phase Four human society is not
/^e^/ dyx-^7
'' '
If humans are to continue to exist in the biosphere, they must
devise a nee societal system (or systems) , such that their needs
can be satisfied with a more modest rate of resource and energy
use than that which at present prevails in the high-energy
societies.
Certain essential characteristics, or biosocral imperatives of
^t^-new societal system are clear .
.
rhe additional ecological load now imposed
on the biosphere by human society is, in energy terms, equivalent
to about 5 percent of the total ecological load imposed by all
other animals and plants put together.
If the technometabolism
of human society as a whole continues to intensify at the same
rate as it has over the past 20 years, by the year 2100 human
beings will be using as much energy, and consequently having as
much impact on the biosphere, as all other existing forms of
life. In fact, it is highly unlikely that the biosphere would be
able to tolerate this eventuality.
Moreover, many authors are of
the opinion that the biosphere would not be able to withstand an
intensification of technometabolism in the developing countries
of the world such that it reached the present level of intensity
characteristic of the modern high-energy societies^-J:t^t^is, 5
times the present global level of technometabolism)Indeed,-^
7^533= *=^ady mentionetA i
is clear that the biosphere will not be
able to tolerate indefinitely even the present pattern of
technometabolism.
Four important biosocial imperatives can be stated as follows:
*
1.
The si2e of the Auman population must be stable.
2.
The overall rate of resource and energy use and of
technological waste production by society fi.e. the intensity
of technometabolism? must be steady for decreasing?.
This
rate must be considerably lower than that characteristic of
the high-energy societies at the present time.
3.
The organisation of society and the economic system must be
such that human health, well-being and enjoyment of life do
not depend on continually increasing per capita use of
resources and energy and production of technological wastes.
4.
The organisation of society and the economic system must be
such that high rates of employment* are not dependent on
increasing consumption of the products of resource—intensive
anc? ener^ry-in tensive industry.
distribution of natural resources, should be an essential aim of
society at both regional and global levels.
Moreover, it is also
assumed that all societal activities that threaten the integrity
of the biosphere must cease — including the manufacture, storage
and deployment of nuclear weapons.
It is self-evident that these biosocial imperatives raise some
important questions about the future of human society.
The FQP
is based on the view that consideration of these questions is an
urgent matter, and that serious thought should now be given to
the design of a new society which, for an indefinite period,
satisfies the health and well-being needs both of the biosphere^-
*
**
The actual size of this sustainable stable population will
depend on its pattern of resource and energy use. The higher
the intensity of technometabolism, the smaller the
sustainable human population.
For the purposes of this Program, 25 percent of the present
per capita intensity of technometabolism in the high-energy
societies will be taken initially as a reasonable societal
objective.
*** The word employment is used here in a broad sense to include
all direct or indirect subsistence activities that are
associated with a sense of personal involvement and purpose.
(Indirect subsistence activities are those which are aimed at
providing subsistence but which do not involve the direct
acquisition of food from its place of origin. Working for
wages with which to procure food and shelter is thus an
indirect subsistence activity).
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and talks, 1979-1982), Heretic Books. (3 leaves)
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r
WORLD ORDER, CULTURAL CONVERGENCE
AND REGIONAL CULTURAL AUTONOMY
The success of Australia's relations with the Pacific Island States
will be based upon the practical and sustained recognition that no one
culture is basically superior to another, -that each and every
[traditional]
culture, together with its social, polLtical and
economic ingredients, have a measuring and value
...
that our new
found freedoms [and independence] were fought so that to a significant
degree a renaissance of Melanesian values, principles and expectations
can take place (Lini, p.ll and p.6).
World order with regional cultural autonomy is a highly desirable goal.
It
is an objective not only of political leaders such as Lini but also of ambitious
proposals such as Mazrui's world federation of cultures J But there is
evidence
that, despite its prime facte plausibility and appeal, it is an impossible goal.
There are various routes to this most unwelcome conclusion.
Mazrui admits that tris 'approach
Consider first Mazrui's cultural paradox.
to
appears
have
But it is worse than that:
contradictory aims' (M p.9).
approach is contradictory, almost as it stands, and Mazrui
way out.
to
the
next premiss:
calculations.
reform
as
a
problem of building up
on
'To get mankind to agree to a new world system [one with
social
reasoning
and
Consensus behind three or four values will need consensus
behind many more supporting values and perspectives.
world
clear
In Mazrui's terms, which leal
order], we need to give mankind that shared framework of
social
no
The argument proceeds as follows:
World order implies a certain consensus.
Pl.
indicates
the
problem
of
supporting
mobilizing
values;
...
consensus;
and
we
see
In
summary,
w*
s <e
we see consensus as a
this
latter
as
an
outgrowth of cultural convergence' (M p.l).
P2.
Such consensus implies [substantial]
cultural
convergence.
In
Mazrui's
'World order...': as mentioned before, I think you should take into account
the world order writings of people such as Richard Falk (A Study of Future Worlds,
etc.) and Johan Galtung (The True Worlds, etc.).
'Consensus
formulation,
behind much-needed world reforms is impossible without
substantial cultural convergence on a global scale' (M p.9).
[Substantial]
P3.
Mazrul's
cultural
formulation:
'the
convergence
In
which the world has so far
convergence
cultural
dependence.
cultural
implies
attained carries with it the evil of dependency'.
P4.
Cultural dependence is incompatible with regional cultural autonomy.
Hence, by P1-P4, world order is incompatible with
and
world order with such regional autonomy is impossible.
hence
is valid, but some of the premisses can
of P2 with Pl.
produce
cultural
regional
be
certainly
shaken,
autonomy,
The argument
the
especially
Even so, no matter how hard they are shaken the problem
cannot be entirely removed.
*****
There is no general solution to the
cultural
regional
This
autonomy.
problem
result
of
world
order
maintaining
is an application of a generalised
Arrow's Theorem.in the application, world options or courses-of-action are the
regional cultures are the factors.
and
alternatives,
Then the factor rankings
are different cultural rankings of the world options.
that
is
there
no
dominant
culture,
no
cultural dictator.
conditions can be assumed satisfied, or satisfied by
result
Regional autonomy implies
Since the other
adjustments 3,
the
dismal
given that world order it taken to require overall rankings of
follows,
world options.
Although a general solution is impossible, a solution
possible
confront.
however
for
all
the
choices
world
a
federation
Given the environmental and economic
that
seems
increasingly
unlikely:
choices
more
may
be
nonetheless
cultures ever has to
of
that
and
are
more,
being
made
because
environmental dependence, choices made by one culture spill over into others.
2
of
The resolutions hitherto have primarily been
cultural
assimilation.
the
And
by
cultural
arsenal of defences, ranging from explicit claims of cultural
claims
through
down
superiority
of democratic cultural adjustment .(tribal voting with the feet)
tn the face of technological superiority and improved "standards of living"
least
registered
as
imported
by
e.g.
relatively easy to shatter;
dominant
culture
ranked
highly,
concerning local environments);
etc.
economics).
the
of
Many
superiority
is
these
only
(at
defences are
in
the
things
not in other matters (such as discrimination
the improved "standards of living" often enough
from leisurely lives of primitive affluence to "wage slaves",
people
converted
and
been backed up by
has
domination
cultural
domination
Some of the evangelical defences are harder to break.
While it is easy in
hindsight to see that there was little justification for imposing religions like
various forms of Christianity in the way they were imposed on other
gentler
or
militarily weaker cultures, the same is not seen in regard to ideologies such as
positivistic science of mainstream economics.
Perhaps most
more
that
dangerous
than
pretentious
the
idea
main Western culture is the
guardian of the truth, is the idea that it has a special
Rationality
is
tool
a
all,
of
dangerous
hold
on
rationality.
that can be applied to justify convergence to orthodox
Western norms.
A world federation of cultures - an Integrated world culture, so almost
to
say - appears to afford a viable alternative to world government, as a source of
world order in particular.
firstly,
it
is
a
what
'we
it
less remote prospect:
than we were a century ago;
Secondly,
Moreover,
should
is
preferable
alternative,
-'we are no nearer a world government
but we are much nearer to world culture'
be
since,
(t
p.2).
aiming for are internalised controls [those of
culture], based on new human inclinations,
rather
organisational mechanisms [government]' (M p.2).
than
external
not.
governmental,
typically
by
Thirdly, cultural controls and
liaisons permit flexibility, regional autonomy, and so on,
rigid
controls
in
ways
that
more
authoritive and externally imposed, controls do
There is evidence, furthermore, from a
range
of
indigenous
cultures
-
Melanesian cultures are ]ust one group of examples - that culture can substitute
Hie vision of a well-ordered
for government.
cultures
government
without
it
anarchists;
especially
is
goes
of
federation
back,
of
course,
prominent
in
the
organisations
to
the
century
and
of
convergence
to
Bakunin
of
work
19th
or
Kroprotkin.
To make the vision work does not however require
the
Mazrui
extent
imagines;
it
does not require a single shared culture
essence, a single characterising feature
is wanted
in
the
rope
strands [the regional cultures
need
as
sought
where a family resemblance is what
A model for a world federation is given Wittgenstein s rope picture.
strands
Various
erroneously
Mazrui has
shared cultural universe, or one world culture
an
cultura1
overlap and criss-cross
It is this overlap of
that give the rope its strength
usually does, run through the length of the rope.
But no
strand
So similarly there
need be no shared or common culture for a world federation, or rope, of culttires
to have strength, and to ensure thereby world order.
regional cultures overlap one another suitably.
it
will
not
follow
that
It is enough that adjacent
Nor is overlap transitive;
there must be something shared.
so
This rope model of
cultures may be alternatively described in other family ways , e.g
in terms
of
a network of cultures.
FOOTNOTES
1.
For these objectives see Mazrui's Introduction, p.l ff. Here as elsewhere in
text, author's names double as references.
2.
On the generalisation see Routley.
3.
For methods of adjustment, e.g. completing rankings, see again Routley.
REFERENCES
O. Lint, 'Keynote Address', Australia and the South Pacific,
Proceedings on a
Conference
held
at the Australian National University, Centre for
Continuing Education, Canberra, 1982.
A.A. Mazrui, A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective, Free Press,
New York" 1*976. All page references prefixed M are to this work.
R. Routley, 'On the impossibility of an orthodox social theory and of an
orthodox solution to environmental problems', Logique et Analyse 23 (1980)
145-166.
K. Lehrer and C. Wagner, Rational consensus
Rolland, 1981.
Science
in
and
Society,
Re Idel,
1. It is widely assumed that cultural convergence is a good thing, to
NOTES
promoted.
This
is the operational assumption in Lehrer and Wanner, who want to
see the conditions for
everywhere
their
(fortunately,
fail for important real
excessive
be
cultural
Markov
convergence
theorem
applying
virtually
of course, the conditions are pretty restrictive, and
life
cases).
convergence
is
There
not
are
good
reasons
for
thinking
a good thing. Certainly some cases of
convergence are undecidable.
Experimental testing of convergence (Defi groups) showed that
when
convergence,
occurred, tended to confirm the status quo. Methods of convergence are
it
essentially conservative. Both locally and on a larger scene such methods can be
damaging,
in several respects. They undercut the perhaps otherwise positions of
minorities. And they can reinforce the posltLon of dangerous power triggers.
Consider what would happen - what appears to be happening -
scene
the
world
where we have, in some measure, "enforced convergence". What we would be
headed for - what we are headed for ts imposition
western
in
paradigm,
with
its
economism,
5
everywhere
violence
of
and
the
dominant
environmental
* "
destructiveness. Lower cultures are progressively undermined.
buddhism,
which
stand
opposed
to
main
afford just one conspicuous example. (The
useful
working
example.)
Buddhism
is
Those
practicing
directions of the dominant paradigm,
American
right
out
impact
of-
on
step
Thailand
with
is
a
economism,
encouraging as it does removal of consumerist ambitions, and it is dianetrically
opposed
to
violence and like destructive practices. (Thus to pull Buddhism out
of the educational curriculum, as in the fairly recent American-inspired,
constitution,
their
is not the enlightened step it is usually seen as: to be sure, it
is "progressive" enough, but in a direction more of us should not be headed.)
2. Total consensus represents a limit of convergence. Consensus also
its serious limitations then.
6
has
WORLD ORDER, CULTURAL CONVERGENCE
AND REGIONAL CULTURAL AUTONOMY
The success of Australia's relations with the Pacific Island States
will be based upon the practical and sustained recognition that no one
culture is basically superior to another, that each and every
[traditional]
culture, together with its social, political and
economic ingredients, have a measuring and value ...
that our new
found freedoms [and independence] were fought so that to a significant
degree a renaissance of Melanesian values, principles and expectations
can take place (Lini, p.ll and p.6).
World order with regional cultural autonomy is a highly desirable goal.
It
is an objective not only of political leaders such as Lini but also of ambitious
proposals such as Mazrui's world federation of cultures.But there is
evidence
that, despite its prima facie plausibility and appeal, it is an impossible goal.
There are various routes to this most unwelcome conclusion.
Consider first Mazrui's cultural paradox.
appears
to
have
Mazrui admits that his 'approach
But it is worse than that:
contradictory aims' (M p.9).
approach is contradictory, almost as it stands, and Mazrui
way out.
to
the
next premiss:
calculations.
reform
as
a
problem of building up
on
'To get mankind to agree to a new world system [one with
social
reasoning
and
Consensus behind three or four values will need consensus
behind many more supporting values and perspectives.
world
clear
In Mazrui's terms, which lead
order], we need to give mankind that shared framework of
social
no
The argument proceeds as follows:
World order implies a certain consensus.
Pl.
indicates
the
problem
of
supporting
mobilizing
values;
...
consensus;
and
we
see
In
summary,
we
see
we see consensus as a
this
latter
as
an
outgrowth of cultural convergence' (M p.l).
P2.
Such consensus implies [substantial]
cultural
convergence.
In
Mazrui's
formulation,
'Consensus
behind much-needed world reforms is impossible without
substantial cultural convergence on a global scale' (M p.9).
[Substantial]
P3.
cultural
formulation:
Mazrui's
'the
implies
convergence
cultural
dependence.
cultural
In
which the world has so far
convergence
attained carries with it the evil of dependency'.
P4.
Cultural dependence is incompatible with regional cultural autonomy.
Hence, by P1-P4, world order is incompatible with
and
cultural
world order with such regional autonomy is impossible.
hence
is valid, but some of the premisses can
of P2 with Pl.
produce
regional
certainly
shaken,
be
autonomy,
The argument
especially
the
Even so, no matter how hard they are shaken the problem
cannot be entirely removed.
*****
problem
There is no general solution to the
regional
This
autonomy.
cultural
result
of
order
world
maintaining
is an application of a generalised
Arrow's Theorem.in the application, world options or courses-of-action are the
alternatives,
regional cultures are the factors.
and
Then the factor rankings
are different cultural rankings of the world options.
that
is
there
no
dominant
culture,
no
cultural dictator.
conditions can be assumed satisfied, or satisfied by
result
Regional autonomy implies
Since the other
adjustments 3,
the
dismal
given that world order it taken to require overall rankings of
follows,
world options.
Although a general solution is impossible, a solution
possible
confront.
however
for
all
the
choices
world
a
federation
Given the environmental and economic
that
seems
increasingly
unlikely:
choices
more
may
be
nonetheless
cultures ever has to
of
that
and
are
more,
being
made
because
environmental dependence, choices made by one culture spill over into others.
2
of
The resolutions hitherto have primarily been
cultural
the
And
assimilation.
cultural
by
cultural
arsenal of defences, ranging from explicit claims of cultural
claims
through
down
superiority
of democratic cultural adjustment (tribal voting with the feet)
in the face of technological superiority and improved "standards of living"
least
registered
as
ranked
culture
e.g.
people
converted
etc.
the
superiority
of
is
these
only
(at
defences are
in
things
the
not in other matters (such as discrimination
highly,
concerning local environments);
Many
economics).
imported
by
relatively easy to shatter;
dominant
and
been backed up by
has
domination
domination
the improved "standards of living" often enough
from leisurely lives of primitive affluence to "wage slaves",
Some of the evangelical defences are harder to break.
While it is easy in
hindsight to see that there was little justification for imposing religions like
various forms of Christianity in the way they were imposed on other
gentler
or
militarily weaker cultures, the same is not seen in regard to ideologies such as
positivistic science of mainstream economics.
more
dangerous
than
pretentious
the
idea
Perhaps most
that
is
tool
a
all,
main Western culture is the
guardian of the truth, is the idea that it has a special
Rationality
of
dangerous
hold
on
rationality.
that can be applied to justify convergence to orthodox
Western norms.
A world federation of cultures - an integrated world culture, so almost
to
say - appears to afford a viable alternative to world government, as a source of
world order in particular.
firstly,
it
is
a
what
'we
it
less remote prospect:
than we were a century ago;
Secondly,
Moreover,
should
is
preferable
alternative,
'we are no nearer a world government
but we are much nearer to world culture'
be
since,
(M
p.2).
aiming for are internalised controls [those of
3
culture], based on new human inclinations,
than
rather
organisational mechanisms [government]' (M p.2).
typically
governmental,
in
ways
more
that
authoritive and externally imposed, controls do
There is evidence, furthermore, from a
not.
by
Thirdly, cultural controls and
liaisons permit flexibility, regional autonomy, and so on,
rigid
controls
external
range
of
indigenous
cultures
-
Melanesian cultures are just one group of examples — that culture can substitute
The vision of a well-ordered
for government.
government
without
cultures
it
anarchists;
especially
is
back,
of
course,
prominent
in
the
goes
organisations
of
federation
the
to
century
and
of
convergence
to
Bakunin
of
work
19th
or
Kroprotkin.
To make the vision work does not however require
Mazrui
extent
the
imagines;
does not require a single shared culture , a
it
shared cultural universe, or one world culture.
an
cultural
erroneously
Mazrui has
sought
essence, a single characterising feature, where a family resemblance is what
is wanted.
Various
A model for a world federation is given Wittgenstein's rope picture.
strands
in
the
rope
overlap and criss-cross.
It is this overlap of
strands [the regional cultures] that give the rope its strength.
need,
as
usually does, run through the length of the rope.
But no
strand
So similarly there
need be no shared or common culture for a world federation, or rope, of cultures
to have strength, and to ensure thereby world order.
regional cultures overlap one another suitably.
it
will
not
follow
that
It is enough that adjacent
Nor is overlap transitive;
there must be something shared.
so
This rope model of
cultures may be alternatively described in other family ways, e.g.
in terms
of
a network of cultures.
FOOTNOTES
1.
For these objectives see Mazrui's Introduction, p.l ff. Here as elsewhere in
text, author's names double as references.
4
2.
On the generalisation see Routley.
3.
For methods of adjustment, e.g. completing rankings, see again Routley.
REFERENCES
W. Lini, 'Keynote Address', Australia and the South Pacific, Proceedings on a
Conference
held
at the Australian National University, Centre for
Continuing Education, Canberra, 1982.
A.A. Mazrui, A World Federation of Cultures: An African Perspective, Free Press,
New York, 1976. All page references prefixed M are to this work.
R. Routley, 'On the impossibility of an orthodox social theory and of an
orthodox solution to environmental problems', Logique et Analyse 23 (1980)
145-166.
K. Lehrer and C. Wagner, Rational consensus
in
Science
and
Society,
Reidel,
Holland, 1981.
1. It is widely assumed that cultural convergence is a good thing, to
NOTES
promoted.
This
is the operational assumption in Lehrer and Wagner, who want to
see the conditions for
everywhere
their
(fortunately,
fail for important real
excessive
be
cultural
Markov
convergence
theorem
applying
virtually
of course, the conditions are pretty restrictive, and
life
cases).
convergence
is
There
not
are
good
reasons
for
thinking
a good thing. Certainly some cases of
convergence are undecidable.
Experimental testing of convergence (Defi groups) showed that
occurred, tended to confirm the status quo. Methods of convergence are
it
when
convergence,
essentially conservative. Both locally and on a larger scene such methods can be
damaging,
in several respects. They undercut the perhaps otherwise positions of
minorities. And they can reinforce the position of dangerous power triggers.
Consider what would happen - what appears to be happening -
scene,
the
world
where we have, in some measure, "enforced convergence". What we would be
headed for - what we are headed for is imposition
western
in
paradigm,
with
its
economism,
5
everywhere
violence
of
and
the
dominant
environmental
destructiveness. Lower cultures are progressively undermined.
which
Buddhism,
stand
opposed
to
main
afford just one conspicuous example. (The
useful
working
example.)
Buddhism
is
Those
practicing
directions of the dominant paradigm,
American
right
out
impact
of
on
step
Thailand
with
is
a
economism,
encouraging as it does removal of consumerist ambitions, and it is dianetrically
opposed
to
violence and like destructive practices. (Thus to pull Buddhism out
of the educational curriculum, as in the fairly recent American-inspired,
constitution,
their
is not the enlightened step it is usually seen as: to be sure, it
is "progressive" enough, but in a direction more of us should not be headed.)
2. Total consensus represents a limit of convergence. Consensus also
its serious limitations then
has
Collection
Citation
Richard Sylvan, “Box 13, Item 999: Notes and clippings on anarchy,” Antipodean Antinuclearism, accessed April 20, 2024, https://antipodean-antinuclearism.org/items/show/66.