Stratigicon

User Tools

Site Tools

Trace:
for_policy_wonks

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

for_policy_wonks [2025/06/19 03:21] – created kcfor_policy_wonks [2025/06/21 15:17] (current) – kc
Line 12: Line 12:
 Unless you’ve looked closely at the evolutionary roots of cooperation, you may be missing a crucial fact: Unless you’ve looked closely at the evolutionary roots of cooperation, you may be missing a crucial fact:
  
-    The social contract is not something the state offers. It’s something people build — and then the state is built on top of that.+The social contract is not something the state offers. It’s something people build — and then the state is built on top of that.
  
 That insight is often left out of the usual political and academic discourse. Even respected sources like Wikipedia define the social contract as a theory about the legitimacy of state authority over individuals. That insight is often left out of the usual political and academic discourse. Even respected sources like Wikipedia define the social contract as a theory about the legitimacy of state authority over individuals.
Line 18: Line 18:
 But the real story — documented by thinkers like Brian Skyrms and foreshadowed long ago by the philosopher Xunzi — is deeper. The social contract first emerged before states, from small-scale agreements among people to refrain from harming each other and to solve problems together. You don’t need a constitution to have a social contract. You need only this: But the real story — documented by thinkers like Brian Skyrms and foreshadowed long ago by the philosopher Xunzi — is deeper. The social contract first emerged before states, from small-scale agreements among people to refrain from harming each other and to solve problems together. You don’t need a constitution to have a social contract. You need only this:
  
-    “If you don’t try to hurt me, I won’t try to hurt you.”+“If you don’t try to hurt me, I won’t try to hurt you.”
  
 This compact, in its many cultural forms, is the glue that holds everything else in place — families, tribes, courts, legislatures, economies. This compact, in its many cultural forms, is the glue that holds everything else in place — families, tribes, courts, legislatures, economies.
Line 29: Line 29:
 The result? A slow cultural shift away from shared values like fairness, conscience, and empathy: The result? A slow cultural shift away from shared values like fairness, conscience, and empathy:
  
-    Conscience is dismissed as childhood conditioning.+Conscience is dismissed as childhood conditioning.
  
-    Empathy is called weakness.+Empathy is called weakness.
  
-    Compassion is seen as letting others off the hook.+Compassion is seen as letting others off the hook.
  
-    Fairness is downgraded to a mere social construct.+Fairness is downgraded to a mere social construct.
  
-    The Golden Rule becomes “Do unto others before they do unto you.”+The Golden Rule becomes “Do unto others before they do unto you.”
  
 In such an environment, the idea of a social contract becomes hollow. Even well-meaning professionals come to define it as: “Behave yourself, and the government will treat you well.” But that’s not a contract — it’s an enforcement bargain. In such an environment, the idea of a social contract becomes hollow. Even well-meaning professionals come to define it as: “Behave yourself, and the government will treat you well.” But that’s not a contract — it’s an enforcement bargain.
Line 53: Line 53:
 To turn this around, policymakers must understand: To turn this around, policymakers must understand:
  
-    People accept laws when they trust the system is fair.+People accept laws when they trust the system is fair.
  
-    People cooperate when they believe others are also cooperating.+People cooperate when they believe others are also cooperating.
  
-    People withdraw, resist, or revolt when they feel exploited or abandoned.+People withdraw, resist, or revolt when they feel exploited or abandoned.
  
 So any effort to rebuild civic harmony must start from the ground up — reviving trust, reinforcing fairness, and re-establishing mutual restraint as a norm. So any effort to rebuild civic harmony must start from the ground up — reviving trust, reinforcing fairness, and re-establishing mutual restraint as a norm.
Line 66: Line 66:
 But if you recognize the erosion I’m describing — and you want to preserve a government of, by, and for the people — then help re-center the conversation. The problem isn’t just crime, polarization, or infrastructure decay. But if you recognize the erosion I’m describing — and you want to preserve a government of, by, and for the people — then help re-center the conversation. The problem isn’t just crime, polarization, or infrastructure decay.
  
-    The root problem is that the social contract has been hollowed out. Fix that — or everything built on top of it remains at risk.+The root problem is that the social contract has been hollowed out. Fix that — or everything built on top of it remains at risk.
for_policy_wonks.txt · Last modified: 2025/06/21 15:17 by kc