[AnimalMuppet]

Why should a company respect the laws?

Because there are negative consequences to not obeying - financial, jail, or both.

Because, in the case of a non-dictatorship, there is no good moral basis for not obeying.

Because, fuzzy-headed theorists aside, anarchy doesn't really work that well for a country-sized society.

Because respect for the law in society is really to your benefit. And because you're not going to like it if others ignore/disobey the laws that you like - laws against theft of your stuff, say.

Because, in a country with a functioning, responsive government, you've got lawful means to fight bad laws. Use them. (Those means may include civil disobedience as a last resort. But even then, you still have to respect the law to the extent that you recognize the law's right to put you in jail for disobeying a law that you believe to be wrong.)

[coldtea]

>Because, fuzzy-headed theorists aside, anarchy doesn't really work that well for a country-sized society

Has it been tried and found lacking?

[AnimalMuppet]

Tried in the sense of "We, the government, are going to remove all laws and even ourselves, and let society run itself"? No.

Tried in the sense of the government collapsed? Yes. See Somalia for the most recent example, but there are others. And when it has happened, yes, it has been found lacking.