What would anarchy be like?

Question

What would anarchy be like? Is it realistic, at all, to envision having no government? Hobbes said that such a situation would mean life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." Why would life with no government, no obligations, and unlimited freedom be so negative? 

Answer 1

Robert Nozick has a book Anarchy, State & Utopia, arguing the merits of no government.

Nozick has the "Jeffersonian" view that the best government is the government that governs least. Taken to its logical conclusion, that means no government is best. Nozick has libertarian ideal of anarchy. Sometimes it's called "anarcho-capitalism" where everything is privatized including courts and police.

There are also socialist or left wing views of anarchy, syndicalism or mutual aid and cooperation. Proudon or Emma Goldman were major communist anarchists. Goldman was disappointed though, with Russia, after being deported there. The assassin of President McKinley was an anarchist.

Hobbes was more than just anti-anarchy. He was more into a highly regulated strong government, and the near antithesis of anarchy. He was more in accord with viewing life as what happened during power outages and looting starts or during Hurricane Katrina when half the New Orleans police depart deserted. Hobbes was a super authoritarian, almost like Nietzsche (Hitler's favorite philosopher) Nietzsche was actually certified insane. But to be fair to Nietzsche, Hitler edited his works to make him seem like a Nazi. But Nietzsche stole his writings or "superman" idea from Max Stirner. Both Nietasche and Stirner tended to attract anarchists as followers.