That's all insightful and interesting stuff, but it doesn't change the fact that collective-action is distinct from just the aggregate of individual-action. Re

That's all insightful and interesting stuff, but it doesn't change the fact that collective-action is distinct from just the aggregate of individual-action. Regardless of all these other things, there are also situations in which the collective-action any individual might choose (even for selfish reasons!!) if they had the magic button is not the action they would choose as an individual without the coordination of others. So, however it is accomplished, in whatever political system, there are cases where merely enabling a group of people to act in coordination allows them all to pursue their individual interests more effectively. The core point being: you cannot merely judge that people who refuse to unilaterally follow a contract that others reject means that those people do not support the contract. Put another way: Kant's categorical imperative is a nice concept, but it's delusional to actually think it represents reality rather than just a mental model. If I self-sacrifice without collective action, I might very well reduce my own capacity for other positive actions and convince others by my example that self-sacrifice is counterproductive.