How has Western civilization achieved liberty, individualism, and property? For centuries, Western Europe and the United States of America practiced the rule of law and preservation of private property, while Eastern Europe and many Southeast Asian countries practiced discretionary rule, communism, and oligarchy. But now, I fear the West heading down the path to serfdom. I am going to explain why sovereignty is important and how the death of it will be the end of the West.
Thomas Hobbes was Partially Correct
One of the most controversial philosophers from the enlightenment, Thomas Hobbes famously said that without the government life will be “nasty, brutish and short”. To expand upon this, Hobbes is correct that man is not put in a high-trust environment, but he was wrong to assume that man is isolated. People are, in fact, very kin-based and tribal social animals, they’re more likely to resort to violence to attain resources and capital for survival. In recent times, it is argued that the state evolved from tribalism to perform more complex tasks like waging war and preserving the civilian population. Many libertarians are correct that the state is a tool of coercion and a territorial monopolist, but many of them embrace the Rothbardian fallacy of aggression. In other words, they started in the middle of their analysis. The state is formed out of necessity, to protect the civilian population and to diminish the threat of external forces. As a consequence, the development of social capital and conditions of liberty are formed.
The Paradox and the Benefits of Centralization
Many libertarians will argue against the centralization of power and authority, but there are benefits to having efficient governmental institutions and strong national defense. The authors of the Federalist Papers were not trying to create a harmonious government, but to create a division of power to limit despotism and for a time it was successful. American governmental intuitions were inclusive, and the existing framework allowed for economic activities to function with very little impediment from the state. Another thing to note, the United States of America was geographically isolated from major European powers so therefore the threat of external forces (with the exception of American Indians) was significantly reduced allowing the development of high-trust social credit. My main argument is this: without an efficient governmental framework, it is impossible to achieve prosperity, cooperation, and wealth. One of many reasons why Eastern Europe is much poorer compared to the United States and Western Europe is because many Eastern European nations practiced discretionary rule, constantly invaded, and were controlled by oligarchic regional hegemons. In other words, the governmental framework was very ineffective and extractive.
When external forces are diminished, it is possible to develop high-trust social credit and the conditions of liberty. To sum up the importance of social capital, to quote the political scientist and economist Francis Fukuyama: “Trust becomes a valuable commodity only when it exists as the byproduct of a society whose members practice social virtues like honesty, reliability, and openness.” The importance of trust cannot be stressed enough, without virtues (such as honesty), it is nearly impossible to form functioning market economies and an efficient, and enforceable governmental framework. A classic example of a low-trust society and relatively incompetent bureaucracy was the Soviet Union and the modern day Russian Federation. The Russian state always been run like a Mafia throughout her history.
What is sovereignty? As far as I know, it is the only to achieve the conditions of “liberty”. The formation of sovereignty is one of Western Civilization greatest achievements, it allowed for the development for the rule of law (which Western Europe and the United States practiced for centuries until recently) and creation of strong virtues such as honesty, valuing hard work, reciprocity, and markets. This was due to the incremental suppression of free riding and other parasitic behaviors. The benefits of sovereignty is the protection of the civilian population. And as economist Thomas Sowell noted: “Larger governing units usually mean more powerful units protecting the society or advancing its interests in the international arena.” .
The Death of Sovereignty in the West
Unfortunately, in the modern era, the West developed the Faustian tendency of universalism and extreme egalitarianism. The current crisis that faces Western civilization is the lack of reaffirmation of our identity and the denial of our cultural values. This is most present in post-WWII Germany, they have made nationalism a taboo in their society and the German people seem to hold a very strong contempt for their culture. Even the Austrian economist Hans Herman Hoppe was once stated: “And it was I, then, as someone who had grown up in defeated and devastated post-WWII West-Germany with the then (and still) ‘official history’ taught across all German schools and universities of (a) feeling guilty and ashamed of being German and German history…”
Moreover, ever since the death of God in the late nineteenth century, the rise of nihilism has seriously affected Western culture and a fatal individualism has risen. People are becoming more isolated, Generation Z is the most lonely generation and the decline of families and communities in the United States has had a negative effect. People are becoming less satisfied with their lives and seeking more ways to fulfill an emptiness inside them. Furthermore, the social scientists Robert Putnam and Charles Murray have both documented the decline of social capital in America and correlated it with lower voters’ turnout, the decline of marriage, honesty, and happiness. Europeans quickly embraced the death of God and, as a result, are more culturally relativistic and likely to commit suicide. According to Pew research, it is projected that by 2050 the most dominant religion in Europe will be Islam and the natives will become a minority in their own countries. This belief of universalism and extreme egalitarianism needs to die so the West can live for another millennia.
Wealth, Poverty and Politics by Thomas Sowell - Basic Books – 2016
Political Order and Political Decay: from the Industrial Revolution To the Globalization Of Democracy by Francis Fukuyama - Farrar, Straus and Giroux – 2015
Coming Apart: the State Of White America, 1960-2010 by Charles Murray - Crown Forum – 2013
Strange Death Of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam by Douglas Murray - Continuum – 2018
Why Nations Fail: the Origins Of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu-James Robinson - Profile Books – 2013
The Origins Of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama - Farrar, Straus and Giroux – 2011
The Future Of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050 by Benjamin Wormald - http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/
Gen Z Is the Loneliest Generation, and It's Not Just Because Of Social Media by Katrina Trinko - https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/05/03/gen-z-loneliest-generation-social-media-personal-interactions-column/574701002/
Coming Of Age with Murray by Hans-Hermann Hoppe - https://mises.org/library/coming-age-murray-0