[WikiEN-l] Autofellatio - NO to that image

Sun Feb 13 21:57:05 UTC 2005

Delirium wrote:

> To quote the OED's first definition:
> 1. a. Absence of government; a state of lawlessness due to the absence 
> or inefficiency of the supreme power; political disorder.
>  b. A theoretical social state in which there is no governing person 
> or body of persons, but each individual has absolute liberty (without 
> implication of disorder).

Well apart from it not simply being a theoretical social state (it has 
existed to some degree throughout human history), the use of the word 
to describe anything other than a lack of authority is usually not a 
good use of the word as there are usually more precise words to use.

The problem with these multiple meanings that have been attached to the 
word anarchy is that they usually contradict each other. 1b, for 
instance, clearly contradicts 1a above. One purports disorder while the 
other implies the opposite.

It's not surprising that the etymology of anarchy is controversial. A 
lot of powerful people have much to lose were anarchy to be adopted on 
mass. It works in their favour for the word anarchy to be a pejorative 
term.

> You seem to be talking of 1.b., but "anarchy" can also refer to simple 
> lawlessness, as in Somalia, or chaotic celebrations following a sports 
> victory.

Somalia might be better described as anomy and chaotic celebrations 
following a sports victory might be better described as, well, chaotic.

Christiaan