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Without law, is fear of a violent reprisal the only thing that would 'keep you in line'? There are countless opportunities for me every day to engage in risk f
by jlgreco 13y ago
Without law, is fear of a violent reprisal the only thing that would 'keep you in line'?
There are countless opportunities for me every day to engage in risk free petty theft, yet I don't. Why don't I? It isn't fear of the law, since I have no fear of being caught, and it isn't fear of reprisal since, again, I have no fear of being caught.
No, I think the reason why I don't steal, even when I could, probably has something to do with the same underlying basis of all those "don't steal" laws. I mean, is it a coincidence that I, and those long dead lawmakers, both think that I shouldn't steal? I don't think the existence of the law has created in me this aversion to stealing either. I could cite for you countless examples where the law and I agree to disagree. It's neither fear nor respect of the law that keeps me (and I suspect, most people) from stealing.
- ImprovedSilence 13y ago>>Without law, is fear of a violent reprisal the only thing that would 'keep you in line'? well... yeah. If not born into a society with established laws, there would be nothing engraining this idea that you may not take something somebody else is "using".
- toki5 13y agoI'd be interested to see solid evidence supporting this theory. Without it, I'm sort of inclined to believe that people wouldn't settle into anarchist madness without someone telling them not to do that.