How to achieve a voluntary paradigm

[The following was submitted as an answer to the above question on a new Q&A website called VOLUNTARYI.ST. Please visit it to ask or answer questions.]

No matter what ANYONE tells you, the factor that ultimately affects what kind of social conditions prevail in a given area at a given time is WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.

This is both individual (since each person has their own mind) as well as having a general, cumulative component. One cannot say “It is society’s view that…” because there is no such entity as society, but it stands to reason that if the overwhelming majority of people consider sex between adults and children abhorrent, then this practise will not be prevalent or dominant in the general life of those people.

How to deal with incidences of unwanted behaviour where it does occur is something for the people to decide amongst theirselves, by forming social norms and establishing a moral code, and this is the important first step in establishing a voluntary society: a consensus must be formed on the fundamental principles that underpin the decision to live in a community, on the social norms that are to be followed to ensure (as much as is possible in an imperfect world) those principles are adhered to, and on what to do when those norms are violated.

Thankfully, most of these principles have already been established by a long tradition of voluntaryist thinking and writing, and I would also say that they represent inherent hominid values such as protecting life and cooperating with one another for mutual gain.

And finally, to address the question directly: “how to change things to reach a new paradigm?”, I return to my initial point about minds.

People’s minds must change in order to move to this paradigm. The paradigm IS only what exists in people’s heads. Currently, people are generally apathetic, acquiescent towards heteronomous regimes such as governments and abusive families, and are severely dumbfounded in their mental faculties, so trying to persuade them of all of the above principles can be really trying and difficult.

But this is the only way. There is no way to change the system from within by attempting to change bad government to good via electoral politics, or by ‘forcing the good’ via a violent revolution. Practically, these methods are counter-productive, and geusively they are repugnant and self-defeating.

So…a ‘philosophical revolution’ is the only way to bring about voluntary paradigms. I sincerely hope anyone who reads this can focus on the fact that however difficult, it is the only POSSIBLE solution.

Best wishes! :)

What do you think?


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