Human societies work best when there is pronounced division of labour. And this is also true (and maybe especially) of institutions. If you look to the past, societies thrived when there was clear division between least state and religion, and ideally when those tasks we generally associate with state or religion were further split into separate institutions. So the problem is not the size of the society, but the unification of “service providers”. Then the results are exactly as you describe. Speaking of care - most religions constantly remind their “subjects” that it actually IS their job to care, but when the church got effectively merged with state, it created the indulgences. Welfare state is just another form of this.
quotingI find it tremendously ironic that the invention of the welfare state, ostensibly to help those in need, has effectively destroyed our sense of community duty and care for our neighbors.
note1yth…pelz
It’s allowed us to convince ourselves that it’s “not our job” to look after each other like we used to.
People love to argue that without the state those in need would be left behind. I staunchly believe this to be untrue and downright patronizing. Most people, most of the time, are fundamentally good and generous.