The postmodernist idea of redefining everything (like gender roles or relationships) through the lens of personal freedom/happiness, etc might be great for individuals but like any problem, political or otherwise, we have to consider society as a whole across generations. Something might be better for individual humans but much worse for humans at the societal and/or multi-generational level. This is something we are really bad at thinking about and so many changes under way right now are great on the face of it but spell disaster long term.
The trend of ignoring the influence of biology on personal satisfaction is one example of this. There is a trend right now of acting like we are "beyond biology" but the truth is we are inexorably tied to our biological natures. The result of this is scores of people in 20 years saying things like "I am doing what we all agreed is our new freedom to do yet I am miserable. Why can't I just be happy?"
Showing posts with label individual vs societal concerns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label individual vs societal concerns. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
5 Ways To Improve A Legal System/The Law
1) Judge the law less by its effect on case by case situations and more so by its effect on society as a whole.
-Increase in the ability to file law suits was implemented, supposedly, to increase power held by "the little guy" and to 'check' the behaviour of the 'big guy.' Only problem is, this has had unintended systemic effects
-For example, the increase in medical culpability has actually diminished doctors' propensity to act, decreasing the quality of healthcare
2) Simplify the law.
-If the law is too complicated to internalize, people lose faith in the law
-The golden rule is and always has been a great basis for law
3) Re-humanize the law.
-Give cops and judges the opportunity to apply their discretion (like they used to be able to) so individuals are not swallowed up by harsh, unflinching laws meant to curb societal problems
4) Have the law informed by science, not emotion and propaganda. Evidence based law, like medicine. Especially drug laws
5) Refocus the law and associated punishments. What exactly is their aim and are we acting outside of it?
-If you're in court, looking at say 5 years in jail for a drug infraction and you ask the judge "who exactly did I hurt here?" and they have no answer other than "yourself" or "the law is the law" we have a problem
-We need to rethink prison and ask ourselves if it is really the only possible way of doing things
-Increase in the ability to file law suits was implemented, supposedly, to increase power held by "the little guy" and to 'check' the behaviour of the 'big guy.' Only problem is, this has had unintended systemic effects
-For example, the increase in medical culpability has actually diminished doctors' propensity to act, decreasing the quality of healthcare
2) Simplify the law.
-If the law is too complicated to internalize, people lose faith in the law
-The golden rule is and always has been a great basis for law
3) Re-humanize the law.
-Give cops and judges the opportunity to apply their discretion (like they used to be able to) so individuals are not swallowed up by harsh, unflinching laws meant to curb societal problems
4) Have the law informed by science, not emotion and propaganda. Evidence based law, like medicine. Especially drug laws
5) Refocus the law and associated punishments. What exactly is their aim and are we acting outside of it?
-If you're in court, looking at say 5 years in jail for a drug infraction and you ask the judge "who exactly did I hurt here?" and they have no answer other than "yourself" or "the law is the law" we have a problem
-We need to rethink prison and ask ourselves if it is really the only possible way of doing things
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