Spontaneous Order, Anarchy, and the Social Organism By W. J. Whitman

The many tend to naturally take on a unity through mutual cooperation and normal interaction. A swarm of bees moves as a whole. A flock of geese flies as a unit. A clump of atoms acts as an organism. There is a spontaneous order within the natural world. Atoms are individual particles, but they spontaneously interact with other atoms in a way that causes them to combine into larger particles. These particles combine and interact with other particles, until organisms are formed. A cluster of independent particles mysteriously becomes an organism. A bacterium is made up of various atoms, but these atoms interact in a way that creates a natural order within the living cell. The functions of the organism are spontaneous. There is no imposition from the outside. There is no coercive imposition of force that makes the organism function the way that it does. On the contrary, the natural interactions of the various parts tend to generate a spontaneous order within the organism itself. Small organisms and clumps of matter interact with one another, generating higher and higher levels of order, creating more complex bodies. A human body is composed of innumerable small particles, cells, and organisms. Taken individually, none of these cells can be considered identical to the body. Each is entirely independent. The bacteria and acids in the stomach that help the body digest food are not just part of the body. They are separate and distinct entities. The human body is a collective organism in which the many are transformed into one body. Unity naturally results from diversity. Diversity, then, precedes unity in the natural order. The food that you eat is digested due to the natural interactions that it has with the acids in your stomach, the energy from the food is naturally absorbed into the bloodstream through some other interaction, and some other interactions transport and supply that energy to the brain and heart, etc. These actions are not taken by the body as a whole. These are individual interactions between separate parts of the human organism. However, these interactions have the natural effect of bringing about a greater unity. The human body is not a single thing; rather, it is a collection of interactions between various component parts. These interactions naturally produce a spontaneous order that generates a unified organism, the human being. According to anarchist theory, society is like a body. The social collective may be similar to a swarm of bees or a human body. Each individual within society is totally independent and autonomous. However, the mutual and natural interactions between these individuals tends to create a collective order. Society is a real entity, yet it is created by voluntary interactions. The state, in contrast to society, is a higher order created by violence and coercion. The difference between the two is that society is a collective body created entirely through voluntary means, whereas the state is a coercive apparatus that attempts to control society. Anarchism is, therefore, a social philosophy. It is not a “political” philosophy in the usual sense. Anarchists believe that voluntary interactions between individuals have a tendency to create a spontaneous order within society. Mutual co-operation leads to spontaneous government. Statism, however, holds that there is no “natural” order in the world. Statists hold that the interactions of the many do not generally result in a greater unity. The statists hold that the mutual co-operation of the parts does not create a spontaneous order for the whole. Therefore statists attempt to impose order from the top. Order, according to the statists, is unnatural. Following the age-old pagan mythology, the statist believes that chaos is the natural state of affairs. Order can only be imposed by the gods: government can only be imposed from above by the politicians. There is, according to the statist, no such thing as “organic government” or “spontaneous order,” as natural science and anarchism suggest. The anarchist, on the other hand, sees that voluntary associations and interactions do create order within society. This is most easily understood when taken in economic terms. The distribution of property is best done through voluntary trade. The people within society voluntarily interact in the marketplace. So-and-so has extra bacon but lacks lemonade, while such-and-such lacks bacon but has extra lemonade. So-and-so and such-and-such will naturally trade products so that both will have a sufficient amount of bacon and lemonade. Thus, there is a natural order in the economy whereby the products are distributed in a rational way. This principle applies to all economies and societies. Of course, it is more complex in real economies, but the basic fact remains the same—voluntary interactions of individuals within the marketplace naturally lead to a relatively proper distribution of products. Of course, in our statist systems, we do not always see such a natural order or proper distribution. The state interferes with this spontaneous order and brings about a relative chaos. When the state tries to control the economy, it is like a person that tries to manipulate the natural functions of the body. The state can print new money and pour it out into the economy for the sake of stimulus, just as a person can introduce cocaine into their body for the sake of stimulus. Just as a person can tie off a limb and deprive it of the blood supply, so too can the state impoverish a portion of society by depriving it of money. Of course, such a thing would lead to the death of that particular body part and the overall health of the body would be negatively affected. As a general rule, it is better to let things interact naturally and trust that a natural order will arise. If you fear natural “chaos” and attempt to impose “order” by force, you will only interfere with the natural spontaneous order and produce chaos. Nearly all diseases and disorders of the human body are the result of the artificial introduction of unnatural products into the organic system. We pollute our bodies with artificial substances like MSG, HFCS, sucrose, drugs, sodium fluoride, etc. Such unnatural substances cause cancers and other physical ailments. How exactly is it that an anarchist can believe in spontaneous order? Isn’t this irrational? Yes, it is irrational if the anarchist is presupposing an irrational universe. However, this scheme makes perfect sense upon Christian presuppositions. The Christian believes that there is an Absolute Rationality—an Ultimately Rational Person—behind the universe, Who has created the natural order and organized the world around us. This Absolute Rationality is called God. And the Christian believes that God has certain general rules whereby He governs the natural world. We refer to these general rules as “scientific laws.” These laws are not absolute laws that are necessary and beyond chance of being altered. God could, theoretically, choose to change the way that He deals with the created order. However, we believe God to be faithful and unchanging. Therefore, it is logical for a Christian to assume that God will continue to govern the natural order by the same rules tomorrow that He has governed it by today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”(Hebrews 13:8) The atheist, unlike the Christian anarchist, does not believe in an Absolute Rationality. He assumes that there is no God: he assumes that there is no Absolute Rationality behind the universe Who governs the created order according to some standard rules. How, then, can the atheist believe in the unalterable nature of scientific laws? If he cannot believe in the unchangeable nature of natural laws, then how can he believe in economic laws or sociological rules? He cannot consistently believe in scientific laws or economic laws. If he cannot believe in these things, then he cannot possibly believe in the principles of anarchism. Anarchism is based on the presupposition that there is a natural order to the universe: there are natural scientific laws and economic laws that create a spontaneous order in the world around us. For further information on spontaneous order in the economy, see my article on Spontaneous Order & the Self-Regulating Economy.