184. Rules And Rebellions

When there is a rule that feels wrong or harmful, we might rebel against it. A tension has formed between us and the rule. The rule says we ought to do something, but we can see it’s better to act in another way. Our first response is usually to complain about the rule, in the hope that others will agree with us and then the rule can be changed or removed. But if this fails, we might decide to disregard the rule, and behave as though it no longer exists.

Any such rebellion will not go unnoticed by others. Every rule has vociferous defenders who think it’s absolutely essential. They will not only criticize our disobedience towards this particular rule, but disobedience in general, claiming it is nothing less than the incitement of chaos. The defenders are not entirely without reason. They believe that all of our rules are at risk if one is so easily disregarded, and they act on that basis.

But removing a single rule could never produce consequences so significant. Even if an entire set of rules were eliminated, the extensive normative structure that exists beyond the area of tension will remain stable and intact. Our vast web of social, ethical, and linguistic norms will not be damaged, simply because the agreements upholding these norms are not in question.

To claim that chaos is imminent because change is needed is a great exaggeration. Our normative agreements are all interconnected, but this is not a point of weakness, it is one of strength. Our social norms depend on our ethical norms and our linguistic norms, and vice versa. Total failure of the normative web is not only improbable but unprecedented in the history of humanity.

The historical record also reminds us how difficult it is to make rapid changes to our rules and norms. Change has always been gradual and slow. The best approach to rebellion then is not to double down on the existing rule, but to accept it as a call to investigate. By discovering where the tension lies, it then becomes possible for us to forge even stronger agreements with others. Rather than falling into chaos, we progress towards a more stable order with greater harmony between the parts.