PHL101H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Rationality
Document Summary
When one lays down a right one has an obligation. A mutual transfer of right is a contract. If performance is not immediate, we have a covenant. Covenant raises the question: why should i perform. Covenant is void if there"s no common power. One can covenant so that one will be killed, but not that one won"t resist. One never covenant that one will not resist imprisonment, death, etc. Third law of nature: men perform their covenants mades . But covenants are valid only if the fear of non performance has been banished. So validity of covenants begins when there is a civil power that can keep them in check. So there"s no justice or injustice before there is a common power. No justice because one should never give up one"s own reason. Keep one"s covenants only when in one"s interest. Argues that we should act justly only when we judge that it"ll satisfy .
