Civil Rights

The Roman Empire’s system of governance included a powerful and enduring concept, jus civis in the original Latin, which means “right of the citizen”. This is the origin of the concept of civil rights. Civil rights are distinct from natural or human rights. Natural or human rights, some political philosophers assert, are innate in the sense that there is some absolute external “good” that can be argued, so everyone should have and respect these rights, but that does not make them enforceable. A civil right is agreed on by the polity and enforced by the government.

How are civil rights relevant to the Network State?

Traditional governments can say they care about civil rights and they can try to protect them. But they will be trying. The system requires trust, and a system that requires trust can yield disappointing outcomes when that trust is violated. A Network State, on the other hand, can decide to protect civil rights, enact the code, and then you can be sure those rights enshrined in code will be protected. Try? There is no try. With the Network State, you decide, and then you do or do not. The concept of trying and failing becomes irrelevant.