The 5th Empire - Introduction

The state is such a permanent feature in modern society that most of us take it for granted. Without it society will crumble into chaos. So we are told.

However, the state plays almost no role in our daily lives. We make all sorts of decisions without thinking about laws and regulations. We buy groceries. We send our children to school. We interact with friends, family and colleagues, all without bringing the state into it. Far from being a central element of society the state appears to be a fringe entity, imposing hierarchy while adding little of practical value.

This is not a new observation. Many have speculated that the hierarchies imposed by the state can be replaced by networks of individuals working together in voluntary cooperation. The Kingdom of God, as described in the Bible, alludes to this. So does Nietzsche with his superman, a race of people who will neither rule nor be ruled. But most fitting may be the Portuguese prophesy of a 5th and final empire that will be ruled, not by government, but by a spirit of good will and love.

In this book, I use the 5th Empire as a synonym for voluntary society. I use the term freely, unconstrained by what others have said about it. This is not a book about the myth, but about a practical, real world alternative to state run society, an alternative that exists here and now. Anyone can take part in it. There is nothing stopping us from entering the 5th Empire.

Earth - By Strebe - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link