Ostracism works in private spaces, not in public spaces. Ostracism gets its power from reality. The power of ostracism is limited by reality. Ostracism can have great force. Ostracism can mean death .
Ostracism can have great force.
To show this I will start by repeating the account that Roderick Long has given us in the previous issue of Formulations. A borh was an association, typically of twelve people, who stood surety for one another's good behavior. If a member of a borh committed a crime, the other members were committed to bringing him to justice but also to helping him pay restitution for his crime. Outlaws then were people who were outside the protection of the law. I have one more story which shows that the ultimate strength of ostracism could mean death, in primitive, pre-state societies.