Theme: Sovereignty

by Ferdinand Pisaro 

Scale of Demonstrated [& Permitted] Agency*
|———————------------—>|(+)
(5).(4).(3).(2).(1).(0)
... ... ... ... ... (0) Sovereign (Aristocracy)(Peerage)
... ... ... ... (1) Vassal (Nobility)
... ... ... (2) Tradesman (Burgher) 
... ... (3) Craftsman (Freeman) 
... (4) Laborer (Serf)
(5) Dependent (Slave)

*With an increase in agency (demonstrated by the scale that an agent can act in) an agent rises through the spectrum of classes. And as an agent gains status the scope of his action increases because he has demonstrated to his peers that he posses the agency to act at his respective scale without producing negative externalities.SELF-DEFENSE Retaliation against impositions upon that in which an agent has invested (paid a cost). As an agent rises in the spectrum of demonstrated-agency, the portfolio of his property increases, and so to the permitted defense he can field. The cost of Peerage/Sovereignty is paid by a deposit of violence and the granting of reciprocal insurance against impositions of cost upon property-en-toto. Complete-Peerage requires perfect reciprocity, including the requirement for symmetrical information. Thus dispute-resolution between peers requires warrantied, truthful testimony—that is, decidability in dispute resolution amongst peers requires the construction of judicial defense. Aristocracy limits the self-defense of non and semi-peers to the scale merited by the agent’s respective scope of action and thus property. Thusly, just an agent moves from:

slave > serf >freeman > burgher > vassal > sovereign 

…he is permitted to engage in self-defense from:

none > body > body & parcel (home)> body & productive capital > 
body & territorial capital (fiefdom) > body & polity.

And as we decrease in scale, legal decidability is provided by the proportional immediacy of the risk/treat/cost posed to body & property. Extending beyond one’s permission to defend property in a manner proportional to scale is met with (judicial) retaliation. So those granted limited self-defense, by permission of the sovereign, must do so under the conditions deemed appropriate by the sovereign. And since retaliation-cycles decrease the value of the sovereigns holdings, the sovereign has an incentive to suppress the cost imposed on his holdings by requiring that disputes be settled by jurors (peers) & judge.