Social Equality and the Stateless Society

Abstract

Social egalitarians are clear that the ideal of social equality applies both to private and public relationships—friendships and marriages as well as political and economic associations. Most social egalitarians support democratic procedures and institutions as a way of counteracting the subordinating nature of state power. On this view, social egalitarianism can be compatible with state power and social egalitarians needn’t be anarchists. In contrast, I argue that social egalitarians' tolerance of governments is misplaced and social egalitarians should be anarchists. Even when state power is wielded by elected officials, it is still subordinating to those who are subject to it. Just as social egalitarians would reject oppressive private relations, even if democratic, they should also reject the oppressive relations between private citizens and public officials.