View the original post on Musing.io
I realize that you are probably looking for a scientific experiment as an answer, but I'd like to take things in a bit of a different direction—hope that's okay with you.
I'd like to propose a social experiment that would be unethical because it's not known what the end result would be.
The experiment I'd propose would be the abolishment of government entirety. For tens of thousands of years we've allowed ourselves to be convinced that we must be subjects of a governing class that provides us with the rules needed to operate within society. While I can more easily understand the need for governance in the discontinued eras of the past, I'm not completely convinced that it's as needed in today's connected world. I'm also not convinced government isn't needed. Day in and day out, our "leaders" make decisions not on behalf of their constituents or subjects, but instead they make decisions that further their own power and wealth for themselves and the cronies who control them.
That said, if we were to take such a bold leap, I do feel that we would ultimately come out the other end of "the experiment" better, as we would have the tools needed to create a new form of governance that is reflective of our collective values, and of our newfound ability to each have a voice in real time. The blockchain is the single biggest advancement in technology that could stand to replace centralized governance/economic engines with decentralized, better thought out and transparent varients of each.
Would absolute mayhem break out? Maybe. Would it last for all time? Probably not.
Why am I convinced that Anarchy wouldn't lead to unending chaos? Because I'm quite certain that chaos isn't something the majority of us value.
Therefore even if removing the rules—rules that only rule followers currently follow—for a period of time might result in short term chaos, and potentially the untimely death of many individuals and loss of property, I have no doubts that eventually those of us who are good, kind, and empathetic beings (the majority of people) would find a way to reframe society in a manner that best serves the majority as opposed to the elite castes that have always held all the power since the beginning of humanities time on this planet.
Is what I speak of above unethical? Absolutely, good people would certainly die! Would the sacrifice be worth it? Maybe, but I wouldn't want to be the person responsible for making that decision.
Hope this was at the very least, an interesting read!
@abhaya504