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Is the point of swearing to a document to signal your values? Isn’t it to make a promise to a higher power? If it’s not to make a promise to a higher power, and
by nonethewiser 4y ago
Is the point of swearing to a document to signal your values? Isn’t it to make a promise to a higher power? If it’s not to make a promise to a higher power, and I’m not necessarily arguing this should be required, then there isn’t really a point.
- arethuza 4y agoI rather like the idea of what the Vikings sometimes did: "The oath-swearing practice varied significantly, sometimes involving ritualised drinking or placing hands on a holy pig (referred to as a sónargöltr) that could later be sacrificed" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heitstrenging https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heitstrenging
- s1mplicissimus 4y agoi would argue that the (almost exclusive) point of swearing something publicly is to signal your values. otherwise why not just swear it to yourself?
- nonethewiser 4y agoThat’s an interesting point. It certainly signals that you made a commitment. So in that sense it’s a social promise in addition to potentially being a promise to one’s higher power. It could also be used to signal religious values but that comes down to intent of the individual and seems secondary to the main purpose of making the oath to (ideally) increase integrity. But I still don’t think making a promise to some set of values that is not believed to have the capacity to enforce them makes much sense. Christians aren’t swearing an oath to Christian values - they are swearing to God. Obviously not everyone is religious, but that’s exactly why it doesn’t make sense to sub in some non religious belief in its place.