Once transcendent standards lapse, law collapses into whatever is good for the collective.

Evidence

Every second group was told in round 17 that from then on only public goods rounds would follow until the end of the game. In these groups cooperation declined during the four public goods rounds, whereas cooperation was maintained when the risk of further rounds of indirect reciprocity was not excluded — Hans-Jürge, Reputation helps solve the tragedy of…, 19</cite> (#exemplifies`, via linked claim)

In fact, what we are dealing with in the analysis of limited war is tradition. We are dealing with precedent, convention, and the force of suggestion. We are dealing with the theory of unwritten law—with conventions whose sanction in the aggregate is the need for mutual forbearance to avoid mutual destruction, and whose sanction in each individual case is the risk that to breach a rule may collapse it and that to collapse it may lead to a jointly less favorable limit or to none at all, and may further weaken the yet unbroken rules by providing evidence that their “authority” cannot be taken for granted. — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 596 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

It is revolting to have no better reason for a rule of law than that so it was laid down in the time of Henry IV. It is still more revolting if the grounds upon which it was laid down have vanished long since, and the rule simply persists from blind imitation of the past. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1067 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Unwritten law rests on fear that breaking one rule collapses all — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 596; Opening law to all truths made justice lose control over its own truth — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 158; Cooperation collapses once the threat of reputation-based punishment is removed. — Hans-Jürge, Reputation helps solve the `tragedy of…, 19 (+1 more)

Related

• Unwritten law rests on fear that breaking one rule collapses all (similarity 0.82)
• Cooperation collapses once the threat of reputation-based punishment is removed. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Cooperation collapses once the threat of reputation-based punishment is removed. #exemplifies (0.82) — Hans-Jürge, Reputation helps solve the `tragedy of…, 19
• Unwritten law rests on fear that breaking one rule collapses all #corroborates (0.78) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 596
• Legal rules resting only on past authority deserve condemnation when their rationale has lapsed #complicates (0.75) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1067
• Opening law to all truths made justice lose control over its own truth #corroborates (0.72) — Michel Foucault, Discipline & Punish- The Birth of the…, 158