Rules of the Game – Part 2
In most societies, sex is controlled to some degree. For some societies adultery is illegal and punishable. In other societies it is considered wrong but is not illegal. Polygamy exists in some societies. A man can marry more than one women, and in rarer cases a woman can marry more than one man. Viewed from a society that is monogamous, these arrangements are bigamous and adulterous.
What truly universal rules around moral behavior exist across all human societies today, let alone across the span of human history?
What is universal is the existence of rules. Rules tend to exist around the same areas – violence, property, sex. The rules essentially exist around those areas which are most likely to lead to conflict. Conflict makes it hard for a community to exist. Rules, morals, ethics, allow a community to exist, they help create communities.
Like games, the rules may vary and they may change over time, but without rules there are no games. It is the existence of rules that is shared across societies, not the actual rules themselves. If there is such a thing as a universal rule it is reciprocal behavior, not in the sense of ‘an eye for an eye’, but more, ‘I will behave as I expect everyone else to behave’. This is the foundation of any rule set.
People can and do break rules to their own advantage, but as with games, there is only an advantage if most other people continue to obey the rules and the advantage is greatest when most other people are unaware of the rule violation.
What truly universal rules around moral behavior exist across all human societies today, let alone across the span of human history?
What is universal is the existence of rules. Rules tend to exist around the same areas – violence, property, sex. The rules essentially exist around those areas which are most likely to lead to conflict. Conflict makes it hard for a community to exist. Rules, morals, ethics, allow a community to exist, they help create communities.
Like games, the rules may vary and they may change over time, but without rules there are no games. It is the existence of rules that is shared across societies, not the actual rules themselves. If there is such a thing as a universal rule it is reciprocal behavior, not in the sense of ‘an eye for an eye’, but more, ‘I will behave as I expect everyone else to behave’. This is the foundation of any rule set.
People can and do break rules to their own advantage, but as with games, there is only an advantage if most other people continue to obey the rules and the advantage is greatest when most other people are unaware of the rule violation.
posted by craig fotheringham at 2:47 PM
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