ABSENCE of government is often interpreted as meaning the absence of law and order. The absence of law and order is defined as the state of anarchy.
However, there is another interpretation to anarchy. Not so much the absence of law and order, but the absence of authority or government giving rise to the freedom for individuals and groups to act in accordance to their free will.
While the first definition thinks that the absence of government will lead to lawlessness and disorder, the second understanding thinks that the absence of government or authority is not necessarily bad but can allow individuals to act on their free will for the betterment of society.
Due to the fact we are so used to having government or authority, it will be unthinkable not to have them. The absence of government or authority would spell the absence of law and order, rendering the situation anarchical.
Even so, authority in its many manifestations are so preponderant and ubiquitous in our society, there is no such thing as the absence of authority.
Thomas Hobbes in his book “Leviathan” was one of the first philosophers to underline the importance of authority.
People surrender their rights to an authority whether in the form of a monarchy or government to ensure they are protected. Thus, in the absence of a Leviathan or central authority, the result would be chaos and lawlessness.
In the past, the immigrants to North America wanted to establish a society that would have limited government or authority. The introduction of checks and balances in the American political system was to ensure that the government does not become too powerful.
Thus, the liberal gun laws were necessitated to check and balance authority from becoming too powerful or tyrannical.
Despite the skepticism surrounding authority and why it had to be checked and balanced, government in the long run became powerful to the extent it was acknowledged as a must in civilised societies.
The ubiquitous and preponderance nature of authority have narrowed the scope for healthy debate on whether human beings need governmental authority for their continued existence.
In the present time, it seems the government is not an answer to the myriad problems faced by human beings. During critical times, there is no government to assist people to overcome their difficulties.
In fact, at the time of the failure of authority or government, humanity has been saved by ordinary people.
If the government cannot fulfil the basic objective in protecting and advancing the interests of ordinary people, then why do governments exist in the first place?
If ordinary people can rise to fulfil the role of the government, then what is the use of government?
A government might have had its relevance in the past, but in the present time, it is not able to respond effectively to the various problems.
Are challenges of global warming, heavy rainfall causing floods and other natural disaster signs that authority exercised in the name of the people is dysfunctional? Why do we need authority when problems of class, caste, ethnicity and religion are standing in the way of humanity?
In this respect, anarchy is not about the absence of law and order but about whether we need authority or government to address the concerns of humanity.
If the government, in whatever form, is becoming dysfunctional or irrelevant, then there is a need to ask the question whether human beings can come together to serve the larger needs of humanity.
There is a need to intellectually rescue the concept of anarchy from being defined along pejorative lines. The absence of government or authority is not necessarily something bad.
But what is the alternative then? – Jan 2, 2022
Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
