Q&A with Matthew Alexander discussion

If you've read the book and wanted to discuss it, post your comments and questions here.

*** SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK YET ***


It's been a while since I read Wither We (time for a re-reading!), but I remember being rather surprised with how Alistair left things on Srillium. The fate of AS&A was somewhat expected, people being what they are, and that was sort of foreshadowed; but I really thought Alistair would get a sort of Libertarian paradise going eventually. It's a credit to the author that he doesn't go with the nice, tidy ending that the reader might expect. My question is: Does the author think a society founded on, and dedicated to, Libertarian principles is even possible from a practical standpoint, or would such a venture be doomed to failure?

Thanks for stopping by, Joe! And thanks for the spoiler alert.

The reason I left the ending uncertain is because it reflects the book's theme and title. Withur We, phonetically, can be taken either as Whither We? (Where are we headed to?) or Wither We (We are withering). It asks the question, where are going as a species, and how are we going to treat each other?

At the end of part II, there has been a massive but temporary setback, really the only way it could have ended given the forces arrayed against them. But the ideas are out there, people have seen it work, the cache of weapons is in Darion's control... I think the speech at the end of part II, by Angus, sums up my feeling and intent.

And I definitely feel that such a society is possible. There was a point in time when democracy was not practiced, and now it is. This is not to say that every society will evolve into a democracy, nor that every society is now capable of being democratic. I think libertarian anarchy is the same way. In fact, many of the qualities that need to reach critical mass in order for a society to function under a democracy are pretty much the same ones I believe are needed for an an-cap society.

I think once it got up and running it would be a marvelous thing, and I think our descendants will see it one day, probably multiple times and in multiple forms. They'll see a lot of other things too. There is no end to history.

Excellent question!