Rule of Law or Rule of the person-which is more important?

[Chris]

Originally Posted by cobraboy

Where is this? I wanna move there.

Unfortunately, prisons are full of folks who don't believe in the Rule of Law, too...

Believe and subscribe to are two different things .. geez! If one is a responsible sovereign individual, the law falls into place but certainly one does not have to 'ruled' by it? I would like to think that if i'm ruled by anything, it could be stuff like ethics or responsibility. The law is an ass you know!

No, its not a place, it is a state of mind.

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by Chris

I would like to think that if i'm ruled by anything, it could be stuff like ethics or responsibility.

I'm ruled by intellect. Ethics and responsibility comes from that.

[juanj]

true: could be a state of mind. Questions: Are all "states" of minds equal? are they all just? are they all balanced? do states of minds follow rules? must states of minds follow rules? who creates the rules for states of minds? - ethics/conscience/morals/truth/justice - what ingredients mus be steeped placed in the crucible that is "society" in order to reach some sort of collective "good" state of mind?
True, mine are but words, and the ideas may not be well articulated, but experience (that we all have) makes us know deeply within ourselves that these foundamental questions musy be explored - even to reach a quasi euphoric utopia - and given our basic lifespans, that is all we are really promised.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by cobraboy

I'm ruled by intellect. Ethics and responsibility comes from that.

A few of us though are a little dumber than that. Our intellect first comes from values. The value may be 'to thine own self be true', or the value may be 'kill or be killed' ... then intellect follows to do or not to do the thing. No, it is not a 'heart' ruling the 'head', it rather is a 'heart' and 'head' working in concert each doing the thing that it is good at. As I said, a state of mind rather than a place. The ability to be fluid in life, rather than to be stuck with what makes sense to the head. There is a place for intuition - combined intellect, intuition is a very strong force.

Truly, if anyone is interested .. the following is life philosophy for me .. "Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field; I'll meet you there." Rumi.

Not war, but very passionate and very intelligent peace building. One can but strive!

[GringoCArlos]

I too believe in personal sovereignty and not a bunch of knee-jerk Rules and more laws. If everyone lived by the Golden Rule, the world would be a much happier place, and there would be no need for other "Laws" (which the sheep believe is for "the greater good".... )

Unfortunately, there are always some a**holes that think they are better than this, or smarter than this, or whatever, which brought on the added "he who has the gold rules" as a reaction.

Give me anarchy before 10,000 pages of laws and a governing body consisting of nothing but lawyers, any day.

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by GringoCArlos

I too believe in personal sovereignty and not a bunch of knee-jerk Rules and more laws. If everyone lived by the Golden Rule, the world would be a much happier place, and there would be no need for other "Laws" (which the sheep believe is for "the greater good".... )

I always figured "laws" were the rules for how reasonable men and unreasonable men were to interact.

If all men were reasonable, we wouldn't need them, would we?

[johne]

Originally Posted by cobraboy

I always figured "laws" were the rules for how reasonable men and unreasonable men were to interact.

If all men were reasonable, we wouldn't need them, would we?

No, but then we are faced with a bigger problem. What/who is resonable vs. what/who is unreasonable?
john

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by johne

No, but then we are faced with a bigger problem. What/who is resonable vs. what/who is unreasonable?
john

Let me make the rules!

I hear ya'.

I suppose one measure of a "reasonable man" would be one who never initiates any force whatsoever against another man. "Force" is not limited to just the physical, i.e. fraud, among other non-physical acts, would be "force".

[A.Hidalgo]

Originally Posted by GringoCArlos

If everyone lived by the Golden Rule, the world would be a much happier place, and there would be no need for other "Laws" (which the sheep believe is for "the greater good".... )

That If says it all. I think its a human condition thing. Why do you think religions were created for....unfortunately we need those bothersome laws.

[johne]

Originally Posted by cobraboy

Let me make the rules!

I hear ya'.

I suppose one measure of a "reasonable man" would be one who never initiates any force whatsoever against another man. "Force" is not limited to just the physical, i.e. fraud, among other non-physical acts, would be "force".

I guess with that kind of thinking there would be no sub-prime mortgage crisis and no "forced" fore-closures. Everybody would have a seat when the music stopped.