This is my rough-draft thesis on Mill IV. You can read it or skip it. I put the questions at the bottom. -DLS
Laws are not created for “the good of society.” Laws are not intrinsic to society. Society comes first, laws come after; they are created to manage society. People huddle together for some purpose. This is the most basic social structure. Next, people organize themselves somehow. In doing so they delegate power (make laws). Laws are drawn up when a society seeks some kind of organization. Perhaps this organization is manifested fear: people have a need for protection. People feel vulnerable for all kinds of reasons. However, protection is not the only reason why a society has/wants laws. People have emotional needs. Laws are created with a specific purpose: to address the emotional needs of people. They represent all kinds of sentiments. Laws are nothing more than issues of emotionality [and morality] (93). Society is not concerned with emotionality. Society is a metaphysical construction that describes a space in which people exist/act in proximity to each other. Society is an invisible phenomenon. It only exists conceptually; it has no thoughts or feelings. Society is indifferent to the emotional needs of the agents that produce its existence. There is no “good” or “bad” side to society since it is an emotionless/abstract construction. Laws cannot be created for the benefit of society in any way. Laws are created for another purpose.
What purpose does law serve?
Does it serve a society?
How can you justify that society exists?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Society is purely abstract
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Second try...
Human beings naturally form groups. We must meet others to mate, are born to another person and are dependent on them for at least part of our lives. Living in groups is not only what people naturally do, it is much more efficient to live cooperatively than on your own. Eventually groups get too big for individuals to manage themselves and real thought needs to be put into organization and coordination. The result for this need of coordination are laws.
Post a Comment