On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 6:23 PM, comex <com...@gmail.com> wrote: > Another option is that, in order to interpret the Rules at any > particular instant, we should use the guidelines specified in the > /last/ instant. Thus at the moment a problematic low-power rule is > enacted, we use the rules from a moment ago that state high-powered > rules take precedence over low-powered rules. Therefore, the > high-power precedence rule takes precedence over the problematic one, > and therefore high-powered rules take precedence over low-powered > rules-- so we're safe for the next instant as well, and the next and > the next. > > This is sure convenient, but what tells us to use such a relatively > odd rule? And what happens at the start of the game, when there is no > previous instant to fall back on?
Nomic is supposed to be a legal simulation, so try another analogy. Suppose the U.S. Congress enacted a bill stating that bills enacted by Congress take precedence over the Constitution. What do you think would happen? My opinion is that the bill would be struck down as unconstitutional, and unless Congress had an army to enforce their coup, everyone would just get on with their lives -- possibly with an unusually low number of incumbents getting re-elected in the next election cycle. -root
