Dmitry Chernikov’s Blog

Artisans represent flux and freedom; Guardians, permanence and responsibility. The task of Rationals is to guide the flux by means of efficient laws, so that change improves matters. Artisans are deterred from performing actions that harm society or other human beings and are directed, subtly or overtly, into those venues in which their “selfish” freedom serves the common good. Thus, the cause of (1st-order) human happiness is served: both the Artisans profit, and so does society from their artistic or entrepreneurial actions. For Artisans progress is precisely what rules and regulations did not foresee. So, Rationals tell Artisans what the latter had better not do. But Rationals do not determine precisely how progress will proceed; Artisans fill in all the details.

The task of Idealists is to define what ought to be preserved by means of promulgating duties to Guardians, so as to keep what ought not to change at all. They are concerned with the “permanent things.” Now just as Artisans have no duty to obey the law but are rather steered into socially useful activities by self-interested avoidance of getting arrested and otherwise impeded, so, on the contrary, Guardians are not given incentives to do their duties; they’re something they just must do. They must sacrifice themselves if duty calls for it without asking what it is in it for them. So, Idealists tell Guardians what the latter ought to do. Given virtuous duties, virtue is served: both Guardians are righteous in doing their duties, and social institutions that are to remain outside the flux are righteous and benignly stable, as well. We have reliable permanence and incorruptible authorities (not necessarily or even mostly in government) who are servants of the people.