Is a Society Limited Or Not?

The words' limited society and open society are often used in different contexts. For example, an open society refers to a society that allows for a degree of mobility, and yet it doesn't have a solid foundation for the collective behavior of its members. A limited society refers to a society that focuses on having a rigid structure or system of organization and limiting the opportunities for participation. So when people refer to a limited society, what they mean is a rigid society where an individual or group is limited in the extent to which they can move up and down the food chain.

The concept of the limited society is based on the Lockean, or a participatory government, theory. In this theory, power is vested in the people through their voting, and so the state becomes a limited entity. But in fact, this view of the power of the state is quite different from the meaning that most people ascribe to the word. In actuality, the state is not a restricted one. It actually becomes more like a closed society, which includes various law enforcers (i.e. police) with the power to do whatever they wish, subject only to the consent of the governed.

This clearly reflects the reality that the limited society is really a "popular society." Even if the Lockean theory is accurate, it still does not mean that any real limitations exist. To put it simply, when power is concentrated in the hands of a few, that group still has the power to make changes. They can modify, repeal, and make even more changes, as long as they receive support from those who benefit from the policies they enact.

The best way to make sense of the concept of the limited society is to understand that it's a myth. It is not true that governments are restricted in what they can do. Governments cannot make a person permanently dependent upon them. They can, however, establish laws and systems that limit the degree to which the members of the government can exercise their rights. These laws and systems are the political superstructure.

So how does a particular political system limit a person? Some examples can be given. First, there is the issue of taxation, which is used to compel people to pay taxes in exchange for some services.

Another is the way in which governments separate individuals from their citizenship. That is, certain groups are seen as being so important that they cannot be separated from their citizenship. A person cannot be a citizen of both the United States and China, for example. And many other examples exist.

And now we can see why the limits set by a government in its rule over people is not limited. It is in fact the complete opposite of limited, and the Lockean theory itself is completely false. One may state that the population is restricted by a government, but that does not mean that the population has been limited by a government.

Therefore, the issue of whether or not a society is limited is largely irrelevant. The limits set by governments are not only unlimited but inclusive. This opens the door for tyranny and despotism, since there is no one that can impose any limits on the rulers. It is therefore not surprising that the Lockean theory is false.