3 ms·

No, I'm talking about trust in institutions. When I ask "why act in good faith if...", I mean as an agent of an institution. > but the institutions can all go

by gary_0 3y ago

No, I'm talking about trust in institutions. When I ask "why act in good faith if...", I mean as an agent of an institution. > but the institutions can all go to hell On the spectrum of whether present institutions are always our friend or if they are irretrievably malicious and evil, the extremes are not good places to be. One end is idiotically naive, and the other means we're imminently going to suffer in a civil war or be enslaved. Maybe there's productive room in the middle, where we can try to make things better, however unlikely that might seem? Otherwise, assuming a foregone conclusion might cause you to allow that conclusion.

mvncleaninst 3y ago
> One end is idiotically naive, and the other means we're imminently going to suffer in a civil war or be enslaved. We aren't stuck with the institutions that we have. We have the resources to create new ones as old ones die out. Some institutions could go to hell and the world would keep spinning. And I don't think the possible outcomes are restricted to a civil war or slavery, we have no idea what the set of possible outcomes even is. If people choose to get rid of them, that's their choice to make, and it's a choice that many aren't even aware of If institutions have nothing to fear because they know that the population is psychologically dependent on them, then what is going to make them accountable? Other institutions?
pasabagi 3y ago
In very broad strokes, the problem with institutions is often that they don't have the option to act in good faith. A good example is the question: should you talk to police? A lawyer would say no, absolutely never talk to police. The reason is not because police are bad people - but rather simply that it is their job to collect evidence to aid in your prosecution. It is not their job to ensure a just outcome.

by gary_0 3y ago

mvncleaninst 3y ago

> One end is idiotically naive, and the other means we're imminently going to suffer in a civil war or be enslaved. We aren't stuck with the institutions that we have. We have the resources to create new ones as old ones die out. Some institutions could go to hell and the world would keep spinning. And I don't think the possible outcomes are restricted to a civil war or slavery, we have no idea what the set of possible outcomes even is. If people choose to get rid of them, that's their choice to make, and it's a choice that many aren't even aware of If institutions have nothing to fear because they know that the population is psychologically dependent on them, then what is going to make them accountable? Other institutions?

pasabagi 3y ago

In very broad strokes, the problem with institutions is often that they don't have the option to act in good faith. A good example is the question: should you talk to police? A lawyer would say no, absolutely never talk to police. The reason is not because police are bad people - but rather simply that it is their job to collect evidence to aid in your prosecution. It is not their job to ensure a just outcome.