Systems of Survival

Systems of Survival [cite book
last=Jacobs
first=Jane
title=Systems of Survival
publisher=Random House, Inc
date=1992
id=ISBN 0-394-55079-X] is a 1992 book by Jane Jacobs describing two distinct ethical systems, or systems of survival as she calls them. She argues that each arose naturally out of different modes of human behavior, but that they can conflict and cause serious problems if not understood. The subtitle is “A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics.”

Description

In the preface, Jacobs explains, “This book explores the morals and values that underpin viable working life. Like the other animals, we find and pick up what we can use, and appropriate territories. But unlike the other animals, we also trade and produce for trade. Because we possess these two radically different ways of dealing with our needs, we also have two radically different systems of morals and values – both systems valid and necessary.” ["ibid." p. xi.]

The book is written in a form of a platonic dialogue where the characters discover and explore the principles that make up each of the two syndromes, as they are called. Jacobs explains that there are many other moral precepts that are shared by both systems and aren’t discussed at any length.

One system is the Guardian Moral Syndrome and contains 15 precepts, like “Shun Trading,” and “Adhere to Tradition.” This system arose primarily to satisfy the needs of organizing and managing territories. It became the code for warriors, governments, religions, and some private organizations.

The other system is the Commercial Moral Syndrome and also is made of 15 principles like, “Shun Force,” and “Compete.” It came into being to support human activities around trade and the production of goods.

The precepts that make up a syndrome are fleshed out. Their historical roots, the cultural examples, and their logical implications are looked at. Their relation to other precepts in the same syndrome are demonstrated. And they are contrasted with precepts in the other syndrome. For example, in the Guardian syndrome there is the percept "Deceive for the sake of the task." Summarized below are points Jacobs made about that percept: ["ibid." p. 75 through 77.]
# Deception arises from man's early days as a hunters — hunters deceive prey.
# Deception is part of warfare as well as police tactics.
# Deception must be for the purpose of achieving a guardian task, not a personal agenda.
# It is moral to deceive an outsider but not one of the other guardians — that would be disloyal.
# If an action is to achieve a guardian task and the deception is not aimed at members of the guardian organization, then it is an esteemed guardian action — virtuous.
# Keeping guardian deception in hand is akin to keeping commercial dishonesty at a minimum.

Conflicts

Conflicts occur, according to Jacobs, when the percepts appropriate to one syndrome are applied to the other. This always generates problems.

Quotes

The following are quotes from a chapter on the Guardian Syndrome where the discussion moves to the moral percept of loyalty. “...If any single percept can be called a key or central in guardian morality, it is "Be Loyal". Governments regard treason as the most wicked crime, bar none.” ["ibid." p. 67.]

And later, "Machiavelli’s famous advice to the Prince seems to cover many topics, and its ostensible theme is prowess, but its gist is loyalty: its indispensability to a successful prince. He dwells on it from every angle. How to deserve loyalty. How to win it, buy it, inculcate it, cultivate it, terrorize people into it. How to subvert loyalty to rival princes or states. How to sniff out disloyalty and deal with it. All his digressions lead back to loyalty.” ["ibid." p. 68.]

References