If you got here cause the Overanalysis of Hermitcraft and are looking for more, sorry to disappoint you but this is a second account and since i finally get back my main account (@svetlavona) i will never post anything like that again here neither anything relate with mcyt, go to the main account for that.
This will be my only warning, this shit is really long.
I promised this to @ivi-prism 2 weeks ago (hi, i am Svetla) but university said no and then i feel my notes were incomplete so i have to do more research.
So let's talk about anarchism and capitalism. As a future political scientist, really bugs me how the fandom and some content creators (im looking at you techno) misinterpret both theories.
Yeah this will be a overanalysis about the political, social and economic system of two minecraft servers. Why? Cause i like analysis things like this and finally i can solved what is the system of hermitcraft and thats make me happy.
Things to consider:
First im not native english speaker and im lazy so im not often write or talk in english so my typos can make Doc really proud.
Second i don't watch Dsmp i only know things about the server by the animatics, the constant information wich pop up here on tumblr, the crossover fanfics and the tiny vods that youtube insist play when i have activate automatic reproduction.
Third i tried to simplified this much as i can because this analysis i maded talking with my friends (also political scientists) and a former professor, so it got quite technical while i was writing it.
And finally don't take this seriously, I'm not trying to insult anyone, I only started this because the hermitfandom started saying that hermitcraft was capitalist and then everyone started comparing the Dsmp with hermitcraft saying anarchism vs capitalism, that's why the dsmp entered into this analysis.
Guys, seriously chaos isn't anarchism and "sucefully economic" isn't capitalism, even paid with "money" (diamonds in this case) isnt necessary capitalism.
First, mini glossary:
I understand a server like a Society/State (country) with Mr Weber definition. In really vague words a State is anyone that has a territory and has legal control of violence (the laws, no the abuse of authority).
I understand the private property as the hermits bases and/or shops (i suppose only base in dsmp? Idk)
I understand the mass production as the farms and resources.
Capitalism is a economic, politic and social theory, wich it considers private property essential and tends to monopolize the resources 'cause this it also considered private property.
Anarchy means "without government" it has its origin in the Ancient Greece. And Anarchism theory is just a society free from any political authority, but respecting the liberties of the others.
A Failed State is which one lose control of the legal violence, and can't provide the peace, essential human rights and the basics for a normal lifestyle to its people.
I think thats all the bored shit (i hope so). Now the interesting shit.
Why hermitcraft isnt capitalist?
Short answer, their idea of private property is not the same as capitalism has.
Long answer, even if they have their own stuff, they had a really strong sense of community and dont really care if someone take things from them.
We can see this in the beginning of season when Iskall take some mini blocks from Etho and he didn't really care (yeah, iskall "paid" him, but later i will explain this) or the multiple times Grian "borrow" things from Iskall and Mumbo in season 6 or Scar in season 7, the team ZIT constantly take things from each other and i can go on and on with examples, but the point here is this couldn't happen if they had a capitalist society because this would break the "private" part of private property and mass production.
Basically their friendship made so strong their sense of community that they are basically inmune to capitalism, Uncle Marx would be proud of them (not really, but would be funny). So they are communist? Nope, communist don't believe in private property and the hermits does.
But you just said-? I said they dont has the SAME idea of private property as capitalism does. They still have their bases, farms and shops, but for them their private property isnt sacred like in a capitalism system would be.
They're respect each other things because they appreciated the effort and values the time the person puts on their buildings and not only because doesn't belongs to them (and obviously cause theyre frends, but shush, this is a overanalysis, the obvious things doesn't have place here) i mean even for the shenanigans they are really polite and try to cause the least damage possible not because is not of them but because they valued the person.
Basically the famous honor code of hermitcraft.
What about the economic system and the shopping district?
Lets talk about the elephant in the room.
If Hermitcraft isnt a capitalist system, why they have a economic system based in diamonds?
Well, despite the exchange based in money for resources or services is a principal characteristic of capitalism, it isnt exclusive of that theory.
The money is a social consensus, cause barter has becomes obsolete and gold isnt cheap or infinite to use as payment. And basically, this is why we use money on this days (if you want to know the history of money ask to your trusted historian or Wikipedia).
What does this remind us? Yep, diamonds and iou's are a consensus too. When the 1.16 came out some hermits tried to change to netherite as payment and didn't suit, so they ignored it and continued with their current payment system.
And as much as Mr Smith likes to say that this is how the free market (and his stupid invisible hand) works, capitalism needs the monopoly of resources and people who works to pay for those resources.
But in Hermitcraft nobody really controlled the resources, anyone can go and collect their materials or made a farm. They just decided don't do it and go and buy it, because they save the time to go and collect for themselves, in other words they paid for the time.
Various hermits say they saved so much time go and buy the materials instead to collect themself or trade with the villagers (cause theyre the worst and all of us know it) thats why the barge and lookie lookie at my bookie are so profitable.
The shopping district it wasn't a thing before season 4, i dont really sure how it worked before, because i started watch in season six and sadly i have a boring adult life to saw the old seasons, but i assume it works in the same way that the trades the hermits does between them to accord a discount or a collab, and speak directly with the interested hermit or directly take it and pays what's considered it was fair, like iskall did with etho.
Like i said all what's happen in hermitcraft is a consensus, even the shopping district.
So yeah, that isnt a thing that would happen in a capitalism system, probably you would be dead, because "how are you dare to entered to my property", or in the jail, "because thats not yours".
So, what is hermitcraft?
For the surprise from much of you, Hermitcraft has an anarchist system.
What?! But their server is so peaceful, they don't steal from each other, they doesn't griefing, hows that possible?!
Well, the anarchism isn't really a violent political theory, at least in its beginning, actually anarchism is one of the most peaceful theories i studied, thats why i dont really thing it will worked in our society, but work in a server of 24 friends. Its too idealist.
I don't really study all of the thoughts corrents of anarchism because they are a lot. But the one we are interested is one of original thought corrent, The Mutualism, this in contrast with their cousin Communism doesn't believes the private property was something bad and considered like one of the rights from the individual, but different as capitalism because like i said before it wasn't sacred and communal things will exist to help others to start or recover.
Proudhon, one of it intellectuals, considered not paid for the work of the other it was a form to violate their liberties and feel horrofied with Marx when he said we have to abolish the private property.
The mutualists believes that each person should possess a means of production, either individually or collectively, and the products obtained would be trade in the market for the amount equivalent of their work.
This sound familiar, isnt it? Hermitcraft works in this way.
The thing with anarchism is they don't believes in a government over the people. And the hermits doesn't have one, yeah there's Scar being the mayor, but he isnt have a power over the rest and only is in charge of the "cowmercial district" even aquatown isn't part of his jurisdiction, his function is more of organization, like when we put a friend in charge to organizing part of a roadtrip.
It's the same with Xisuma figure, we all put him in a position of the admin of hermitcraft, but the truth is he isnt the only one with admin commands (but apparently some or all of them losed their admin status, at least in one of the last tango's streams, he hasnt it anymore) and various hermits said that he is more like an ambassador of them in the legal things of the server.
The hermits take all of they decisions in group and in the majority of things all of them needs to be agreed with the decision or they simple doesn't do it. And this is a characteristic of the mutualism because for them anyone are over the other.
And if you aren't already bored at this point and you put attention to what i wrote of the concept of private property in the mutualism, you would see it is practically the way hermitcraft works. They make their bases and farms, recolect resources and sell what they don't will use, buy mostly to save time and paid for the price what they considered fair. Yeah i know sometimes they do some farm specifically for one shop, but this is more "yeah, this is my thing" (Tango and Iron; Ren and wood) or a division of activities "if you do that, i do this".
The perfect utopia.
What about the Dsmp?
If you do it to here, congratulations.
So what about the Dsmp, i entered here because i want to read of them and the only thing i read was about hermitcraft.
Well, the Dsmp only entered in the equation because much of you said they were an anarchist server, but i see it more like a "failed state" and when i was talked with an exprofessor he agreed with me.
I know the term of failed state is controversial and is almost obsolete, but is the best way to describe the server and stop said it is anarchist.
So why failed state and not an anarchist state? Because they have a government (or apparently multiples) a failed one, but is there, if it were an anarchist server wouldn't have one.
Usually the failed states are known for being violent and volatile places in which ones their governments can't provides the basics to their people to live, normally are places with ethnics conflicts, civil wars, authoritarian governments or states in wars. The most common examples are Haití, Somalia or Syria.
And i am sure you can see the similarities with the Dsmp, so yeah, theyre chaotic but not anarchist.
The wars ruined the stability from the server, have a multiple sides and a megalomaniac for admin, but the goverment still there and they are fighting for the power wich wouldn't happen if the server were anarchist because anarchism don't believe the power should be possess for someone.
The server simply is failed state wich struggles under a violent fight for power.
If you read this far, you're a hero and had my gratitude for read my useless thoughts. Maybe some day i do it other overanalysis of this servers. I hope you enjoyed and dont confused so much.
Thanks for read.
And if there are some angry economist with me for "misrepresent" the capitalist i am completely open to a debate, my only condition is it would be in chilean spanish ;)
To celebrate the triumph against fascism and hate speech of chilean people, i want to give three covers for any of your fanfics or story (no matter the fandom), like the ones i gift to the beautiful @ivi-prism the last week!
If you are interested you only have to dm or send an ask, whatever you want, send me or explain me the fanfic or story of which one you want the cover, give your ideas of how you wanted to be or give free will of action.
I dont care of about what your story is, so dont be afraid of being judge in any kind of way, the only condition i put is the cover cant be have any complex draws or illustrations, cause i dont know how to draw, but simple illustrations that can be made on illustrator are ok.
Edit: Also snakes are a DON'T, cause i have a awful phobia to them!
Also you need to considered that i am not any kind of graphic designer or anything like that, am a politics major student and this is a hobby that i turn into a freelance job that i do time to time when i need money, so dont expect to much pls.
I cant provide you my professional portfolio, because it has my irl name in it and i want to keep my personal life away from internet, but under the cut i leave some of my work so you can see what i can do.
(If tumblr take down my tumblr again today you can contact me on my second account @7ven-devils)
Any of the photos i use here are mine only the illustrations (except for the heart) were made for me and obviously the editing too.
I usually work with photoshop and illustrator for this kind of works and sometimes with SAI.
