Do you ever despair at the apparent lack of regard for the "social contract" by so many?
Do you ever despair at the apparent lack of regard for the "social contract" by so many?
In this case, I'm referring to the notion that we all make minor sacrifices in our daily interactions in service of a "greater good" for everyone.
"Following the rules" would be a simplified version of what I'm talking about, I suppose. But also keeping an awareness/attitude about "How will my choices affect the people around me in this moment? "Common courtesy", "situational awareness", etc...
I don't know that it's a "new" phenomenon by any means, I just seem to have an increasing (subjective) awareness of it's decline of late.
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I was literally just reading about social contract theory the other day, brushing up because it's been a while since my political philosophy coursework in undergrad.
I was thinking this is definitely something everyone should brush up on, because it seems to be something many of us have forgotten about.
We live in a society, together, and give up certain freedoms in exchange for stable lifestyles lived without fear.
I think people have forgotten about everyone's individual responsibility, their mandate, to uphold their part of this social contract. I think people have forgotten what shame is.
Great post.
Unfortunately, the people that need this reminder the most are also generally staunchly anti-intellectualism.
I think people have forgotten what shame is.
This is, I think, the major motivator for terrible behavior. Well said.
I'm old enough to remember the world pre-Bush Jr. Maybe its rose colored glasses, but people used to genuinely feel shame about being uneducated or ignorant. Not necessarily self esteem issues or whatever but they were aware of their poor education and tried to correct it and do better for their kids. Dan Quayle famously got roasted for misspelling potato and it brought serious questions about his competence to be second in line to the presidency.
Then Bush II came around. "I don't need no stinkin books, I go with my gut!" The creationists start getting political power and continue fighting evolution in biology classrooms. Democrats get accused of being traitors for changing our opinion on Iraq when it became clear the evidence was falsified. Flip floppers they called us. Yeah man, I flip flop my opinion when faced with new evidence, and somehow that's a bad thing?
Then Sarah Palin, then Trump, and here we are...