People v. State

I took the Center for a Stateless Society‘s Find Your Philosophy Quiz, and here are my scores:

On the Economic Leftist / Economic Rightist spectrum I’m a 74% Economic Leftist.

On the Anarchist / Statist spectrum I’m a 78% Anarchist.

On the Anti-Militarist / Militarist spectrum I’m a 100% Anti-Militarist.

On the Civil Libertarian / Civil Authoritarian spectrum I’m a 70% Civil Libertarian.

And on the Socio-Cultural Liberal / Socio-Cultural Conservative spectrum I’m a 22% Socio-Cultural Liberal. I assume that means I’m actually a 78% Socio-Cultural Conservative. [Update: A commenter below points out that I’m probably more socially liberal than I thought. Ugh!]

The Quiz consists of 106 statements with which one can Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Here are some of my answers to some of the questions:

A child of mine who married a person with religious beliefs different from mine would probably make me very uncomfortable by doing so. Agree.

Children should generally be subject to the authority of their parents until they are economically self-sufficient. Agree.

Criminal penalties should be used to discourage people from consuming chemical substances widely agreed to be harmful. Strongly Disagree.

Dissent regarding political, scientific, and cultural issues helps to keep a society healthy. Strongly Agree.

Going to war saps a society’s resources and leads to dramatic increases in government power. Strongly Agree.

Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society. Strongly Disagree.

Government is necessary to keep people from experiencing dire poverty and economic vulnerability. Strongly Disagree.

I should participate in and support social institutions that assist people who are poor, sick, or handicapped. Agree.

I would be uncomfortable if a child of mine married a person of the same sex. Agree.

If economic arrangements were significantly more just than they are at present, it would be much easier than it is now for people to work in partnerships or cooperatives or to work for themselves. Strongly Agree.

It is a good idea for a government in today’s world to maintain a very large military establishment in order to be ready to mount a defensive war at any time. Strongly Disagree.

It is appropriate for someone to pick and choose from among the elements of a cultural or religious tradition with which she or he decides to affiliate. Disagree.

It is especially important that people have access to weapons to protect themselves against authoritarian violence by the state. Strongly Agree.

It is morally appropriate to attack noncombatants in order to hasten the end of an otherwise just war. Strongly Disagree.

It is reasonable to restrict people’s access to accurate information during war-time for their own good. Strongly Disagree.

Threatening to use weapons of mass destruction against noncombatant populations is reasonable if doing so seems likely to prevent war. Strongly Disagree.

Letting people fend for themselves without help from others is often appropriate because it will promote the efficient use of resources and weed out the unfit. Disagree.

People should be able to move freely around the world in search of work, not limited in their search for work by borders. Strongly Agree.

Representing the conscience of a community, a jury should judge the law as well as the facts in a legal case. Strongly Agree.

Rich societies should share wealth with producers in poor societies by allowing free entry to the goods and services they produce, rather than imposing trade barriers on them. Strongly Agree.

Self-employment or work as a member of a cooperative or partnership is generally preferable to working for a boss, all other things being equal. Strongly Agree.

Sex must take place inside marriage in order to be morally responsible. Agree.

Should one of my children marry a person from a different ethnic group, I would be uncomfortable. Strongly Disagree.

Since the air and water are common resources, businesses should be free to “pollute” them. Strongly Disagree.

Laws and regulations which politicians say are designed to restrain big business often serve to protect the interests of big business. Strongly Agree.

The belief that people should be basically equal in social status is morally reprehensible—destructive of freedom and social authority. Strongly Disagree.

The distribution of wealth and power in many societies in today’s world reflects systematic theft of land and other resources, to the predictable advantage of those who hold political and economic power. Strongly Agree.

The emergence of a government, an entity with a monopoly of force, in a given territory is inevitable. Disagree.

The government should be able to draft people to serve in the military. Strongly Disagree.

The objectives politicians say they are pursuing when they call for war are usually the objectives they really are pursuing. Strongly Disagree.

The occurrence of large disparities in wealth in a community rarely if ever leads to undesirable consequences for most members of the community. Strongly Disagree.

There are good reasons for me to support arrangements in accordance with which people who can’t afford decent health care can obtain it anyway. Agree.

There is no particular moral reason for me to help people who cannot help themselves. Strongly Disagree.

There is no way effectively to provide goods and services like roads, lighthouses, defense, the prevention of pollution, and protection against economic insecurity without government. Disagree.

Wealthy people often use their influence over the government to gain legal privileges for themselves and take resources from poor, working class, and middle class people. Strongly Agree.

When people work in sweatshops, it’s often because violence engaged in or tolerated by the state has made it hard for them to support themselves in other ways. Strongly Agree.

States have the right to control their borders and determine who does and does not enter their territory. Strongly disagree.

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