What is Good? What is Right?

A few weeks ago we played the 'tapping game' which sparked off an intense discussion on the meaning and purpose of rules, how power can be wielded, ceded, or possibly usurped, and why game players reacted in different ways when they had been 'tapped three times' (i.e. free to do whatever they want). We then discussed the meaning of The Good Society and the linkages between Power, Rules, What is Good and What is Right.

Subsequent discussions over email led to mentions of The Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram Experiment.

This month, Singapore artists explore similar themes through a production of Mario Diordano's novel/film Das Experiment: Black Box.

The rule of law is also a concept that has been heavily debated in economics and governance literature. This article in The Economist gives a fantastic overview of the different ways in which the rule of law is defined and interpreted. One group argues that the rule of law exists to protect fundamental liberties (and if so liberties according to whose definition?). Another group argues that the rule of law exists to ensure societal stability, promote economic growth through guaranteeing property rights, and allow the efficient administration of justice.

Yeling