Law Commons^™

The Seduction Of Lydia Bennet: Toward A General Theory Of Society, Marriage, And The Family, Scott T. Fitzgibbon

Scott T. FitzGibbon

This article sketches the foundation for a general theory of society. Rejecting portrayals that make society a field of exploitation and dominance, it proposes instead an account that locates the foundation of society in its service of certain basic goods. Society is a kind of friendship. It is to be defined based on the goods of friendship and the projects that serve those goods. Its elements, including those of obligation, office, shame, and rehabilitation, further those goods. The society that emerges from this account is a "society of life." This article also proposes the concept of "components of society," reflecting …