North East Region Summer Workshop 2014 Lecture 11 - good governance
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The document discusses different social systems that fulfill human desires and how they relate to good governance. It outlines how the family fulfills the desire for love, the economy fulfills the desire for material goods, and civil society and education fulfill the desires for social status, knowledge, and worship. It argues that while governments should support these systems, an overreach into areas like family, education, or the economy could undermine individual freedom and lead to poor outcomes.
North East Region Summer Workshop 2014 Lecture 11 - good governance
- 2. What is the purpose of government?
- 3. What is it that all human beings want? In view of the fact that all knowledge and every pursuit aims at some good, what is the highest of all goods achievable by action? Verbally there is very general agreement; for both the general run of men and people of superior refinement it is happiness; they identify living well and doing well with being happy. Aristotle
- 4. People are social beings "It would be strange to represent the supremely happy man as a recluse. No one would choose to have all possible good things on the condition that he must enjoy them alone; for man is a social being and one whose nature is to live with others; accordingly the happy man must have society, for then he has everything that is naturally good." Aristotle
- 5. How is happiness attained? When our desires are fulfilled. Hungry -> food -> happy Missing someone -> see them -> happiness
- 6. The problem is that . . . Some desires are unrealistic Some desires are immature Some desires are excessive Some desires are wrong And this leads to unhappiness
- 7. Religions all recognize this Paul - ‘wretched man that I am’ Jeremiah - ‘heart is corrupt’ Buddhism - all suffering caused by craving -> whole way of life based on extinguishing craving Paradox - fulfilment of desire leads to both happiness and suffering Desires need to be chanelled and controlled so they bring happiness and not suffering
- 8. What are the main desires people have? Desire to eat, sleep and be warm Desire to experience love Desire for social position or power Desire for knowledge Desire to worship
- 9. Structures to satisfy these desires Human desire Social system To experience love Family For material things Economy For position and authority Civil society, politics For knowledge and skills Education To worship Religion
- 10. What is the purpose of government? Defence To protect a country from invasion which would destroy a people’s way of life and prevent them from being happy Justice To maintain the laws necessary to create a realm of freedom so that people can live a moral and meaningful life and thus be happy and fulfilled
- 11. What is Law? System of rules that mediates the relations between people Creates rights and obligations “The rule of law is better than the rule of any individual” Aristotle Creates freedom
- 12. Where does law come from? Divine Mosaic law, Sharia Custom and judges English Common law Legislation Emperor Legislature
- 13. The family system Fulfiling the desire for loving relationships
- 14. Family is the place of meaning Dwelling place of God - the family that prays together stays together Spiritual life creates hope for the future Sense of meaning Reason to live and to multiply Shabbat prayer
- 15. Family as the school of love Place for love between husband and wife Reproduction and love between parents and children Socialisation and education into the manners, customs and traditions of one’s community Transmission of culture and the good way of life
- 16. Family as an economic unit Work together to create wealth to support family and community Develop a sense of responsible ownership Develop and realise creativity Culture of giving and sharing
- 17. Family is the basis of society Love Life Lineage
- 18. Family crimes Adultery - chief cause of divorce and family break up Unmarried mothers - every child has the right to a mother and a father Child abuse and neglect Especially common among step-families Neglect of parents and grandparents Government supplanting role of family in education, health, welfare, finance
- 19. Role of government Support traditional family Family and marriage law Tax system Favour marriage and children Inheritance Build up generational wealth and responsibility Social security system should not subsidise unmarried mothers Social services should be voluntary sector
- 20. The family is the basis of society Familial collapse -> social collapse Society more than just families Social structures and institutions Distinction between family and society family based on affection - forgiveness society based on justice Affection in social relations -> corruption (nepotism) Legalism in family relations -> destruction
- 21. Family society Family expands small society Affection declines as distance increases Scarcity of goods - selfishness/limitations to generosity -scarcity of desirable goods destructive conflict Need framework of commonly accepted rules
- 22. The economic system Fulfilling the desire for goods to be able to live a comfortable life
- 23. 1.Recognition and respect of ownership Relationship between person and things Relationship between people - property is a social convention End of disputes - stability of possession 3rd blessing. Lord of Creation
- 24. 2. Transfer of ownership Rights over goods transferred by consent Can give things to someone Can sell things to someone Market Place where transfer ownershp by exchange Origin of money Convenient unit of exchange division of labour and specialisation Freedom and responsibility Freedom within the law 2nd blessing - ethical relationships
- 25. 3. Performance of promises “My word is my bond” Promise keeping 1st Blessing Society as moral Self-limitation - don’t be greedy Natural rational expectations Trust people including strangers Free trade between strangers
- 26. 3 Principles of justice, 3 Blessings, 3 Laws 1.Society of owners -3rd blessing - dominion over creation -Do not steal/misuse public money 2.Society as a market -2nd blessing - ethical relationships -Do not have immoral relationships 3.Society as moral -1st blessing - mind body unity -Do not hurt a person’s heart
- 27. Economic crimes Theft, robbery, stealing, fraud, Denial of private property - nationalisation without compensation; Unreasonable and punitive taxation including taxation for social engineering such as inheritance tax Reneging on agreements - not paying salaries, invoices, Breaking promises
- 28. Role of government Establish and maintain simple legal framework for free market. Law of contract, laws against theft, fraud Maintain independent judiciary Independent central banks Limited taxation Government should not be involved in finance or the economy. Minimise bureaucracy and corruption
- 29. Civil society Fulfiling the desire for social position and power
- 30. Civil society Human desire to have position in society where can make a difference, unique contribution Multitude of institutions in civil society: Politics, businesses, charities, local government, religion, schools, hospitals etc. Civil society should be law governed Freedom of speech, movement, living, career Meritocracy
- 31. Crimes against civil society Achieving position illegitimately Murder, coups Nepotism Cronyism Corruption, bribery Discrimination in public sector Totalitarianism
- 32. Role of government Maintain an independent judiciary Maintain roads, sewers National defence Safety net welfare Government to protect way of life and not to engage in social engineering
- 33. Educational system Fulfilling the desire for knowledge and understanding of the world we are to inhabit
- 34. What is education? Education is the transaction between the generations when children are initiated into the world which they are to inhabit This is not just transfer of knowledge and skills It is most fundamentally learning to perform humanly
- 35. Where does education take place? Family Teach children how to behave To live a spiritual life How to think, not what to think or believe Skills Swimming, gardening, house maintenance, money management etc. School History, literature, language, religion Specialised knowledge, skills More complex thinking
- 36. Educational crimes Failing to pass on the wisdom of the ages- treason of intellectuals Dumbing down Indoctrination Not graduating with qualifications and skills Information without values, purpose, meaning
- 37. Schools should be . . . Independent - self-governing and not controlled by the state Financed by fees, scholarships, vouchers Free to specialise and set curricula Not for indoctrination - religious or political Follow public exams set by universities and other professional bodies
- 38. Religion To satisfy the desire to worship
- 39. Religion Acknowledgement of a dependence on a superhuman being expressed through acts of cult - worship of God Concerned with questions of meaning of life, right and wrong behavior, salvation Rituals to give meaning and sanctification to rites of passage such as marriage
- 40. Religious crimes Idolatry Mistaking the relative for the absolute Sectarianism Bigotry Fundamentalism
- 41. Role of government Allowing religious freedom Enable religious communities to be involved in law making, education and values
- 42. Summary Human desire Social system Crime Experience love Family Adultery Material things Economy Stealing Position Civil society Murder Knowledge, thinking Education Falsehood, indoctrination Worship Religion Idolatry
- 43. Renaissance Enlightenment Communism Reformation Second Reformation Liberal Democracy Maturation of politics, economy and ideology (1789-1918) Maturing of political structure, economy, Agricultural & industrial revolution Conflict between religion and philosophies Reformation and Renaissance Cain- type view Abel- type view
- 44. Ideas have consequences Cain view of life French rationalism German idealism Materialism, atheism Abel view of life British empiricism Spiritual revival Totalitarian Democracy Liberal Democracy
- 45. Cain-type democracy: totalitarian democracy France Powerful monarchy Justinian legal code Little democracy Revolution 1789 Atheistic Rationalistic Idealistic - remodel society Statist, collectivist Totalitarian
- 46. Abel-type democracy: liberal democracy Anglo-Saxon England Witan, rule of law, freedom, separation of powers, value of the individual, tradition, custom, Christian Magna Carta 1215 Trial by jury, monarchy limited by law Parliament 1297 Government by consent English Civil War 1640 Abolition of arbitrary rule, religious freedom Glorious Revolution 1688 Parliamentary independence
- 47. Separation of powers American Revolution 1776 Constitution, individual rights From the very beginning the separation of powers was to be characteristic of the ideal society which God has been working to realise to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual. EDP, 361 God Legislature Judiciary Executive Makes laws Executes policies Upholds justice With the establishment of constitutional democracy, the framework for the ideal political system was set up. EDP, 362
- 48. Industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution which began in England arose out of God's providence to restore the living environment to one suitable for the ideal world. Promoted trade which led to empire Supported spreading of the Gospel
- 49. Person is the model for society Brain Spine Nervous System Heart Lungs Stomach Limbs Cells God Christ Political leaders and parties Executive Legislative Judiciary Organizations Individuals In the ideal world, because people’s horizontal relationships with each other are rooted in their vertical relationship with God, they will form one integrated and interdependent society. EDP, 362
- 50. What kind of economic system? In front of God all people have the same value God wants to provide a good environment and living conditions equally for all his children No destructive competition due to over production No unfair distribution leading to excessive accumulation and consumption EDP, 342 What kind of system?
- 51. One where there is . . . Interdependence, mutual prosperity & universally shared values Original mind pursues socialist values Community Support Equality Freedom Democracy
- 52. How has Satan been working? Satan has worked through fallen people to realise, in advance of God, a perverted form of the ideal society which God intends to realise. As a result in human history we witness the rise of unprincipled societies which are built upon twisted versions of the Principle. EDP, 329
- 53. What kind of socialism? God’s plan is to develop a socialistic economy, although with a form and content utterly different from the state socialism and communism actually established. EDP, 341 Not a planned economy Not a welfare state Not a state educational system Not a state health system No state owned banks and industries Limited state social security
- 54. Where do we find . . . Excessive production Communist and planned economies But planning is inherently impossible
- 55. Why is planning impossible? Impossibility of calculation Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek All knowledge is tacit knowledge Michael Polanyi, F.A. Hayek Knowledge for planning does not exist G.L.S. Shackle
- 56. Where do we find . . . Excessive production Communist and planned economies But planning is inherently impossible Unfair distribution Feudalism where monarchy and aristocracy accumulate and consume excessively Socialism where state employees are at an unfair advantage
- 57. What is a free market? A place where people can freely buy and sell without interference The price mechanism regulates production Too much lower price reduce production Too little high price increase production Price and market regulate distribution Goods sold to person willing and able to pay the market price
- 58. The Principle and the free market economy Give and take Freedom and responsibility Three Blessings Promise keeping Law of contract Ownership of property Welfare and education organised within civil society Charity, business, cooperatives, insurance