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In-Depth Information
Promises
Promises are stronger than a simple declaration or knowledge of the intention of another
agent. Promises create what we called a social commitment, which is a right producing act,
determining rights for
Y
and duties/obligations for
X
. We claim that this is independent of
laws, authority, punishment. It is just at the micro level, as an inter-personal, direct relation
(not mediated by a third party, be it a group, an authority, etc.).
The very act of committing oneself to someone else is a 'rights-producing' act
: before the
S-Commitment, before the 'promise',
Y
has no rights over
X
,
Y
is not entitled (by
X
) to exact
this action. After the S-Commitment such a new and crucial social relation exists:
Y
has some
rights on
X
, she is entitled by the very act of Commitment on
X
's part. So, the notion of
S-Commitment is well defined only if it implies these other relations:
Y
is entitled (to control, to exact/require, to complain/protest);
X
is in debt to
Y
;
X
acknowledges being in debt to
Y
and
Y
's rights.
In other words,
X
cannot protest (or even better
he is committed to not protesting
)
if
Y
protests
(exacts, etc.).
One should introduce a relation of 'entitlement' between
X
and
Y
meaning that
Y has the
rights
of controlling
, of protesting (and punishing), in other words,
X
is
S-Committed to
Y
to not oppose these rights of
Y
(in such a way,
X
'acknowledges' these
rights of
Y)
.
If
Y
changes his mind he is disappointing
X
's entitled expectations and frustrating
X
's
rights. He must expect and undergo
X
's disappointment, hostility and protests. He is probably
violating shared values (since he agreed about
X
's expectations and rights) and then is exposed
to internal bad feelings like shame and guilt. Probably he does not like all this. This means
that
there are additional goals/motives that create incentives for persisting in the intention
.
X
can reasonably have more trust.
Notice also that the declaration is more constraining in promises: to lie is worst.
α
, of exacting
α
Promises with Witness and Oaths
Even more binding is a promise in front of a witness, or an oath (which is in front of God).
In fact, there are other bad consequences in the case of violation of the promise.
Y
would
jeopardize his reputation (with very bad potential consequences; see [Cas11]) receiving a bad
evaluation also from the witness; or if he'd behaved badly under oath he would elicit God's
punishment.
Thus if I do not trust what you say I will ask you to promise this; and if I do not trust your
promise I ask you to promise in front of other people or to take an oath on it. If I worry that
you might break that promise I will ask for it in writing and signed. And so on.
Contracts
Even public promises might not be enough and we may proceed by adding binds to binds
in order to make
Y
more predictable and more reliable. In particular we might exploit the
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