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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

210345

Modus vivendi and the motivations for compliance

Roberta Sala

pp. 67-82

Abstract

This chapter aims at defending modus vivendi as a way of including what I call "non-reasonable" people in a liberal society. After clarifying who the "non-reasonable" are, I will argue for a specific modus vivendi as a form of political settlement that allows both reasonable and non-reasonable people to live together without coercion, in a peaceful and relatively stable way. Modus vivendi is the proper way to cohabit efficaciously with others, despite their conflicting views. I will argue as follows: first, I start by focusing on so-called "non-reasonable" people. I claim that non-reasonable people may actively take their place within liberal citizenship. Second, I try to understand why the "non-reasonable" should be willing to obey laws in a permanent way. Laws and institutions need the 'stability of obedience": they must guard themselves against the unpredictability of citizens' conduct in order to maintain a secure civic society. This is a central point: one does not merely have to hope that "non-reasonable" people show a factual openness and become part of a liberal society, but one must deal also with their reasons to be part of it. The aim is to argue for reasons for them to be actively part of a society that is not ideal for those who do not endorse its moral fundamentals. I propound that non-reasonable people may comply with liberal institutions via a modus vivendi supported both by reasons and practices, the intersection of which serves as a guarantee of stability. Finally, I will draw some conclusions.

Publication details

Published in:

Horton John, Westphal Manon, Willems Ulrich (2019) The political theory of modus vivendi. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 67-82

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-79078-7_4

Full citation:

Sala Roberta (2019) „Modus vivendi and the motivations for compliance“, In: J. Horton, M. Westphal & U. Willems (eds.), The political theory of modus vivendi, Dordrecht, Springer, 67–82.