“Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins.” – Ayn Rand
It has become increasingly apparent that only an esoteric handful in our society possess the mental faculties and patience of mind to engage in civilized, rational discourse; even the handful that do choose to participate in meaningful conversation often fail to realize that morality is entirely a social construct, one that can only be legitimized and maintained through the threat of force.
By definition, morality is a set of beliefs or principles concerning the distinction between behavior that is deemed “good” or “bad” that we consult when attempting to formulate a verdict concerning a specific act or motive. Morality can be likened to a code of conduct shared by members of a society and maintained by methodically instructing the younger generations to adopt this set of principles. However, it is evident that even in a small and relatively homogeneous community, the morals that people hold can differ drastically. Morality, like power, honor, and a myriad of other human inventions, exist purely because our belief in it shapes the nature of our actions. Because it is an intangible concept that is greatly influenced by personal interpretation, morality is extremely nebulous and subject to variation from person to person. Conflicts instigated by disagreement over the categorization of things as “moral” and “immoral” are ubiquitous in our society and are often the root of larger scale problems that threaten cooperation between diverse groups of people. When such differences in morality exist, how does society as a whole determine the lawfulness of certain acts, distribute resources in an equitable manner, and ensure a harmonious relationship between its members? In other words, who gets to impose their morality on others?
A brief examination of our present times and recent history will reveal that those who wield the threat of force ultimately wield the power to bend others to their will and establish their morality as the status quo. Today, a host of arbitrary laws are imposed by the direct threat of police force; the aftermath of a war is determined by the side with the stronger military; the verdict of a court case is heavily influenced by the purchasing power of the parties involved. This use of force, which can take a plethora of potent forms, is also a dominant theme in human history. We view historical leaders who commit heinous crimes as “evil” simply because their definition of morality differed from ours. If we can temporarily detach ourselves from the immediate emotional reaction of disgust, horror, or repugnance that is quick to consume us when we read about their “sins”, we will come to realize that they operated in accordance with their own morality – a morality that we may consider to be twisted due to the fact that it was very different from our own, but a morality nonetheless. Through political leverage, exclusive access to valuable resources, or control of the military, these leaders were able to manifest their “evil” moralities into reality through the use of force.
It is clear that force plays a dominant role in determining the prevailing morality in our society. Without it, there would be no dominant ideologies, and society, which hinges on human cooperation fueled by belief in a shared intersubjective realm, would likely devolve into a chaotic cesspool of unorganized individuals with each toting his/her own proposed morality. Without force, the power to influence others’ morality could only be attained by garnering legitimacy as an erudite voice, which is far less effective than inspiring fear and absolute obedience through the threat of immediate force. Between obeying a venerated elder and submitting to an armed soldier with a gun aimed at your temple, it becomes obvious that the latter is a significantly more motivating force. Without the threat of force, people have little incentive to align their morality with those of others. As prideful beings, most humans are obstinate in the belief that their morals and principles are “correct” and should be universally observed as a paragon of righteous behavior; only the threat of force can nullify their tenacity and command their obedience.