consider agreements as implicit and explicit: implicit include morals, etiquette, civil and normal behavior. expand on these ideas
ChatGPT said:
Your distinction between implicit and explicit agreements is a powerful framework for understanding social life, norms, and systems of cooperation. Let’s explore and expand both categories, especially the implicit agreements such as morals, etiquette, civil behavior, and “normal” behavior.
I. Explicit Agreements
These are formal, overt, and often documented or verbally confirmed. They typically include:
- Legal contracts (e.g., employment, leases, treaties)
- Rules and policies (school codes, workplace regulations)
- Laws and constitutions
- Verbal promises or agreements (e.g., “I’ll meet you at 5 p.m.”)
- Terms of service, licenses, waivers, etc.
They are enforceable within systems of accountability and are assumed to be voluntarily accepted, though power imbalances often complicate that assumption.
II. Implicit Agreements
These are unstated, often unconscious, yet deeply embedded expectations and norms. They evolve over time and are often enforced socially or emotionally, not legally.
1. Morals
- These are generalized understandings of right and wrong.
- Often seen as binding, even without codification.
- Can be universal (e.g., “do not kill”) or culture-specific (e.g., taboos around food or sexuality).
- Implicit moral norms form the moral background of any society: for instance, we do not need to sign a contract to agree not to steal from our friends.
Key Characteristics:
- Presumed universal within a group
- Violations prompt guilt, shame, or moral outrage
- Often internalized through upbringing and education
2. Etiquette
- Concerned with rituals of politeness and appropriateness (e.g., saying “please” and “thank you,” not interrupting).
- Varies widely across cultures, and even between social classes or regions.
- The function of etiquette is to smooth social interaction and reduce friction in daily life.
Key Characteristics:
- Culturally and contextually variable
- Enforced via embarrassment, mockery, or subtle exclusion
- Often unnoticed unless violated
3. Civil Behavior
- Refers to behavior in public or shared spaces that facilitates coexistence.
- Includes things like queuing, yielding space, not shouting in public, respecting privacy in public settings, etc.
- Tied closely to both civility and civic engagement.
Key Characteristics:
- Helps maintain peace and trust in pluralistic societies
- Breaches prompt public frustration or indirect correction (e.g., dirty looks, passive-aggressive comments)
4. “Normal” Behavior
- This is perhaps the broadest and most elusive. What is “normal” is based on statistical, social, and psychological patterns.
- Often includes behaviors that conform to the status quo, unspoken expectations, or what is “just done” without thinking.
- “Normal” is context-dependent and temporally unstable; what’s normal in one era or setting may be deviant in another.
Key Characteristics:
- Maintains social stability by anchoring expectations
- Violations trigger surprise, awkwardness, or exclusion
- Closely tied to identity and in-group belonging
Interactions Between Implicit and Explicit Agreements
- Explicit agreements often depend on the foundation of implicit ones. A legal contract assumes the parties won’t lie, will meet on time, and will act in good faith—all moral expectations.
- Implicit agreements often become explicit over time. For instance, evolving norms about consent have led to clearer policies in workplaces and schools.
- Societies codify implicit norms into law (e.g., anti-discrimination laws derived from changing moral norms).
Philosophical Implications
- Autonomy and consent are deeply affected by the implicit layer: one can be legally free yet socially coerced through invisible norms.
- Power structures are often hidden in implicit agreements—what is “normal” or “civil” may reflect the interests of dominant groups.
- Moral innovation often begins by challenging implicit norms, before becoming explicit (e.g., civil rights, abolitionism, feminism).
Would you like to explore this in relation to any particular domain (e.g. law, digital communities, political systems, or philosophical ethics)?