Freedom as non-domination makes mundane institutional design philosophically central

Evidence

Political philosophy often goes for abstract and romantic themes, neglecting humdrum issues of the sort discussed here: neglecting, for example, issues to do with how best to organize committees. The ideal of freedom as non-domination suggests that pedestrian matters of institutional design are of the first importance; it argues for a gas-and-water works version of republicanism. — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 1286

Categorization

• SEED: Essay angle: ‘the gas-and-water works theory of freedom’ — why the most high-minded political ideals ultimately live or die in committee procedure, zoning rules, and sanctions design.
• XREF: Echoes the learned interest in small acts of decorum toward corpses mattering more than practical logic — grand ideals realized through mundane micro-mechanisms. — connects to: Freedom as non-domination is inherently dynamic and adapts to emerging interests — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 1252; Institutions constitute citizens’ freedom from domination rather than causally producing it — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 518; Freedom as non-domination, unlike non-interference, cannot be fully enjoyed by one person alone — Philip Pettit, Republicanism: A Theory of Freedom and…, 1239 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Institutions constitute citizens’ freedom from domination rather than causally producing it #expands (0.92) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 518
• Freedom as non-domination, unlike non-interference, cannot be fully enjoyed by one person alone #expands (0.78) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 1239
• Decentralized pursuit of non-domination breeds accumulating petty despotisms, not freedom #complicates (0.78) — Philip Pettit, Republicanism, 456
• Spontaneous social order arises from uncoordinated individual choices without conscious design #contradicts (0.72) — Quinn Slobodian, Globalists, 748