On the Concept of Voluntary Association

Abstract

With the relativistic conflict of values resulting from globalization, decolonization and multiculturalism, governments are forced to oper­ate in a social environment which is confused, complex and uncertain. At the end of the last century, western governments could take more or less for granted the existence of a national hierarchy of values. The state existed to support and promote the moral order that was based upon this authoritative hierarchy. While Matthew Arnold in 1869 recognized important differences between the upper, middle and lower classes, Culture and Anarchy (Arnold, 1960) could nevertheless argue that culture was the study of perfection and that the role of the state was to support the best aspects of the national culture. He saw no particular reason to take any notice of regional, communal, ethnic and gender differences. The governments of modern societies are faced with pronounced conflicts over values and culture. Neither govern­ments nor intellectuals can automatically or authoritatively pronounce on matters of value. This fact is the real significance of the notion that postmodernity involves scepticism towards ‘grand narratives’ (Lyotard, 1984). Postmodernity creates an environment in which governments are reluctant to legislate in areas where there is profound and probably incommensurable conflict over values and moral attitudes.