SPOILERS below for the Terra Ignota series.
The code of universal laws:
First law: It is an intolerable crime to take an action likely to cause extensive or uncontrolled loss of human life or suffering of human beings. [Clarification: Proselytizing outside Reservations violates this law.]
Second law: It is an intolerable crime to do significant and measureable damage to Nature or the Produce of Civilization, or to take an action likely to result in extensive or uncontrolled destruction of the same.
Third Law: It is an intolerable crime to kill or seriously harm a Minor. [Note: This includes high-functional non-human animals and AIs]
Fourth Law: It is an intolerable crime to deprive a human being [or nonhuman Minor] of the ability to call for help or otherwise successfully contact fellow human beings. [Note: This includes destroying or removing a tracker]
Fifth Law: It is an intolerable crime to inflict torturous and unnecessary suffering upon a living animal which is not a human being and thus incapable of fully informed consent.
Sixth Law: It is an intolerable crime to interfere with or disregard reasonable directives issued by a police officer, firefighter, doctor, or other agent or an Authority carrying out a mandate to enforce these Universal Laws or to protect the human race, intelligence life, Nature, or the Produce of Civilization.
Seventh Law: It is an intolerable crime to break a legal contract which one has made voluntarily without duress or pressure, and with fully understanding of its terms, conditions, and consequences, unless an unforeseen change in circumstances renders the contract's terms destructive, absurd, or cruel, in which case a settlement must be found which is as fair as possible to all parties who have acted in good faith throughout.
Eighth Law [added later]: We do not anger the Leviathans. This Eighth Law applies exclusively to those, known commonly as Blacklaw Hiveless, who bind themselves to no laws but these Universal Laws, and it may be applied and enforced only by the same.
What do you think of these laws? Are there others that you, dear young reader, believe should apply to all persons? Conversely, do you believe any of these laws should NOT apply to a human being?
Explain and expand.
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The Seventh Law worries me. It seems to imply that people will always make good judgments, which is not my experience of humanity.
ReplyDeleteIf I decide to commit to something stupid, because I'm stupid, it is not justice to say that breaking that commitment is an intolerable crime against humanity. That's not how contract law works, and I'm not convinced that it should work that way.
Thoughts?
Also very worried about the Second law, depending upon how "Produce of Civilization" is defined. Sometimes, Civilization produces crappy outcomes, and making a better world involves burning them down.
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ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why, but "Intolerable crime" makes me squint and doubt the merit of the rules and kind of feel like I'm being told something is for my benefit when it is not.
ReplyDeleteAddendum: These are the black laws. Most people (99.9%+) ascribe to a great number of additional laws and protections. All minors [defined as those who have not yet passed the adult competency exams] are under "greylaws", which have a larger set of protections, safeguards, and laws. Most adults have a "Hive", a governmental group that protects and grants specific rights and responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteThe only people to whom these and only these laws apply are those who choose for it to be so.
With that in mind:
Tony Lower-Basch It should! That being said, your Hive assuredly has additional safeguards.
Your concern about the second law is also completely reasonable. And, well, part of the novels turns on this.
Matt Johnson The books for sure have an Enlightenment astetic. They talk about Hobbes a lot
Surprised no one has mentioned the Eigth Law.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, assuming Leviathans are a thing "Don't anger them" seems pretty reasonable. Certainly more reasonable than placing near blind faith in authority figures and their directives...
ReplyDeleteMatt Johnson If Leviathans exist, then once you are a part of one, you largely do not. The Leviathan to which you belong you always -- essentially by definition -- entrust with your life and rights.
ReplyDeleteThis is just more obvious about that, I think.
Oh, so this is using a non standard definition of leviathan? Though I suppose "Don't piss off the hive minds" still works as a universal truth.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you think this law would produce more commentary than other things?
Leviathan in the Hobbes sense of the word.....
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