Theme: Cooperation

NATURAL LAW FOR CHRISTIANS (repost from 09 Monday Oct 2017) Natural Law: I have no idea what these men think natural law refers to, but in CAN only refer to Reciprocity. Every other reference is just an excuse for parasitism or predation by moral pretense. Revelation: The knowledge gained through the sciences (physical, physiological, natural-meaning cooperative, and testimonial(meaning knowable)) as a means of achieving agency in the universe. God: God is a unit of measure. God is a fictional (mythical) character (archetype) within a group’s mythology, that in turn expresses the group’s evolutionary strategy (geographic, demographic, economic, political norm, tradition, and religion), that when used through imaginary role play, functions as a an instrument of measurement (decidability), for those (many) circumstances, and for those (many uneducated) people, who must decide in the face of complexity, undecidability, or uncertainty, when the consequences of our actions (externalities, particularly intertemporal and long term externalities) are beyond our ability to judge. Sympathy with an authority figure is the simplest form of measurement available to man other than his own physical abilities to act. Sympathy, particularly with a paternal or maternal figure, is the first cooperative form of measurement man evolved, and the one that requires no specific education other than ordinary social participation, in order to function. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL LAW THOUGHT 1. Natural law is an eternal moral law revealed to all people through human nature. Correction: The Natural Law of reciprocity is necessary for the preservation of cooperation, for any cooperative species – particularly a sentient one. Without the natural law of reciprocity, and the moral intuitions that accompany it, including altruistic punishment, then cooperation would not survive, and the population would not survive. Conversely, the more cooperation, the more contract, the more truth, the more trust, the lower the cost and the greater velocity of that cooperation. And as such, the greater prosperity. 2. Natural law influences (but cannot save) even fallen and sinful humanity. Correction: Man evolved as a rational actor, and must have evolved as a rational actor, in order to survive. Man acts rationally at all times given his incentives. He developed defense of his investments (possessions, and opportunities) before he developed cooperation. He developed moral instinct in parallel with his ability to cooperate, and language to improve his ability to cooperate. But while predation, parasitism, theft, fraud, and free riding and conspiracy are all natural to man – and universally demonstrated, it is simply almost always more advantageous to cooperate than not, or to engage in parasitism, or predation. And even so, we have developed systems of providing incentives against man’s rational choice of non-cooperation, parasitism, and predation, both informal (manners, ethics, morals, traditions) and formal (laws, enforcers, and governments). Man is not fallen angel but risen beast. That is simply the fact of it. He is rational – not good or bad, that is simply the fact of it. We all simply work to keep one another ethical, moral, and powerless so that it is always more rational to cooperate. 3. Natural law is the proper basis of political authority. Correction: The Natural Law of Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of conflict. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of cooperation and exchange. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in matters of the production of commons. Reciprocity provides perfect decidability in international agreement and conflict. Ergo, the Natural Law of Reciprocity provides the ONLY perfectly decidable means of dispute resolution, cooperation and exchange, production of commons, and international agreement and conflict. 4. Natural law authorizes society to establish a government. Correction: Natural Law of Reciprocity informs us that we require a judiciary to adjudicate differences, and markets to cooperate. Forming a political order (government) to do so on behalf of the population is a choice. But since all governments have been corrupt (especially the church), the price of government (management team for the commons), must be weighed against the benefit of one. 5. Governments are themselves subject to the natural law. Correction: Governments do not exist any more than god exists. Only people exist. A government consists only of people. And all people either observe the Natural Law of Reciprocity, and are held accountable by the rest of the population, for adhering to the Natural Law of Reciprocity, or they don’t. If they don’t, then they should expect retaliation for their crimes against the natural law of reciprocity, and therefore the polity. 6. Each society’s laws should apply the natural law to that society’s particular circumstances. Correction: Each society may create contracts under natural law that both preserve aggregate reciprocity but create combinations of rights and duties. But no, the natural law of reciprocity is no more violable than is the balance scale. Either the two weights balance, and reciprocity is preserved, or it does not balance and reciprocity is not preserved. Period.