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Except that society has a mechanism for for enforcing social norms: laws. Premarital sex might seem like an evolutionary advantage, unless you live in a societ
by mywittyname 6y ago
Except that society has a mechanism for for enforcing social norms: laws. Premarital sex might seem like an evolutionary advantage, unless you live in a society that murders you for such activities.
You are right though, which is why high-status in a society are "allowed" to break social norms with no consequence.
- throwaway316943 6y agoYou can pass all the laws you want but if they aren’t backed up by a general consensus in the society they will be defied at every turn.
- mywittyname 6y agoCounter-point: authoritarian regimes. The general consensus in such countries is that the laws are terrible and oppressive, the the brutal enforcement largely ensures compliance.
- throwaway316943 6y agoBrutal enforcement is quite distinct from legislation so much so that the legislation becomes unnecessary since such practices often take the form of extrajudicial conviction and punishment at the hands of police or the military.