Universalistic norms lose force without status-group exclusionary sanctions behind them.

Evidence

If we wish to break the hold of such norms as those that reinforce the exclusionary status of some group such as the aristocrats, a forceful way to do so would be to offer contrary incentives. That is what the modern industrial economy has inadvertently done to many aristocratic norms, such as the dueling norm (Hardin 1995, 91–100). Some of Vronsky’s class norms might, however, seem generally good, so that we might wish to keep them. Unfortunately, if they are merely universalistic norms, so that following them is not motivated by the exclusionary sanctions of the status group, they will most likely have far less force. No one other than the victims of violations will have incentive to sanction violations of them. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 271

Categorization

• XREF: Supports the blindness argument: in Saramago, no status group can sanction violations once sight collapses, so even ‘good’ universalistic norms lose all force — explaining rapid moral breakdown. — connects to: Institutional power persists even in egalitarian settings that believe they disavowed it; Broad norm systems contain conflicting norms that weaken universalistic ones. — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 273; Groups induce cooperation through sanctions even without trusting their members — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 808 (+16 more)
• CANDY: The fact that industrial capitalism inadvertently killed the dueling norm is a light, tweetable historical tidbit.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 271

Broader Connections

• Groups induce cooperation through sanctions even without trusting their members #corroborates (0.80) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 808
• Power cannot self-realize but depends on societal-structural conditions for legitimacy #expands (0.80)
• Power loses its ordering function if anyone can resort to violence freely #corroborates (0.78)
• Institutional power persists even in egalitarian settings that believe they disavowed it #complicates (0.75)
• An ultimate power to decide generates its own norms and cannot be trusted #exemplifies (0.75)
• Broad norm systems contain conflicting norms that weaken universalistic ones. #complicates (0.72) — Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, 273
• The most unconditional conflicts rest on the strictest shared norms #corroborates (0.72) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 304