I was thinking yesterday about private courts replacing statutory law and ran into this idea: Suppose I am an egalitarian and believe it is unfair for some people to have more money than others, so I take my neighbor to court to try to get some of his cash. What would determine the outcome? Of course, the outcome would be determined by a judge, jury, or some similar arrangement. But what if that jury also believed in egalitarianism? Then the defendent would be forced to hand me the money or else suffer some consequences. In fact, if the jury thought it would be OK to kill him if he did not fork over the cash, then he might even be killed.
My point is that a "State-like" (oppressive, coercive, violent) situation can arise without a formal State, if only the majority of the people abandon reason.
The question is, is such an oppressive condition inevitable? Does it naturally arise periodically as cultures meander through various guiding philosophies? Is it inhernet in human nature that there will always be a majority willing to plunder each other?
Any thoughts?