Abstract
This chapter argues that living under the rule of law requires not only efficient and effective government agencies but also the extensive and responsible cooperation of ordinary people. This argument relies on a thick perspective of the rule of law (see Chaps. 2 and 4), implying a democratic life where people can exercise their human rights , among other things. Moreover, based on a reviewed version of the Principle of Fairness , the author maintains that individuals have to actively participate in public affairs and cooperate in community life as a moral implication of living together under the rule of law . And, in order to meet this goal, he contends that it is necessary to strengthen a public policy of civic education. Finally, the author argues in favor of that public policy because it helps to develop the virtue of reciprocity , a quality that is conducive to human flourishing and living together, taking into account that our social nature coexists with a liberal self-centred culture nowadays.
Prof. Dr. Jose Pablo Abreu Sacramento, Ph.D. in Law. Department of Law, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Santa Fe, Mexico City. E-mail: jpabreu@tec.mx.
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Notes
- 1.
Data from the World Value Survey Wave 6, based on the views of people from countries within the European Union, America and Oceania.
- 2.
It is accepted that the ideal of epistemic autonomy in all citizens is just that – an ideal; but there is a belief that any democracy needs a balance among its population, whereby some of them would come closer than others this ideal.
- 3.
This chapter is not suggesting that institutions don’t matter. They do, but even from the institutionalism perspective, political scientists and philosophers have dropped the classic treatment of political institutions and now they admit that it is necessary to look beyond arrangements of representation and government and to expand the analysis to social organization (Lowndes/Roberts 2013; March/Olsen 1989) .
- 4.
See Chap. 2 to explore some arguments on this topic.
- 5.
Political parties have tried to use the constitutional consultation, and President Lopez Obrador sounded out public opinion to define some of his projects before beginning his term in office.
- 6.
- 7.
To examine further the difference between conditions that are necessary, but not on their own sufficient to bring about the desired results, see Mackie (1965).
- 8.
Perfectionism as a moral theory demands us to take care of perfection in human life. For a general review of perfectionism, see Wall (2012) .
- 9.
There are other factors which affect the status of the rule of law in a nation, such as historical experience, international influence, socio-economic changes and a strong migratory flow.
- 10.
Just to illustrate, Diamond (1994a: 12) takes from Inkeles a list of components for a democratic culture : “flexibility, trust, efficacy, openness to new ideas and experiences, tolerance of differences and ambiguities, acceptance of others, and an attitude toward authority that is neither blindly submissive nor hostilely rejecting but rather responsible… even though always watchful.” But I have said that civic culture is broader than a political culture ; so we will need to add other attitudes.
- 11.
This kind of disposition relates to the communal reciprocity presented by Cohen (2009) . Recognizing that we live in a world where everybody needs help from other people, you choose to have the disposition to maintain the social balance of exchanges because of another individual’s needs and, at the same time, because of your own need of their help. Returning good for good in this form of reciprocity implies recognition of human social nature, whereby I notice your – and my – limits and decide to continue with this virtuous social balance that you need to reach your happiness and that will allow you to help me reach mine.
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Abreu Sacramento, J.P. (2020). Citizenry, Civic Education and Rule of Law. In: Le Clercq, J., Abreu Sacramento, J. (eds) Rebuilding the State Institutions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31314-2_9
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