DC Philosophy of Law, Life, and Bubblegum February Meetup

All curious minds are welcome! Here's the primer for this meetup; please remember that the primer is not meant to limit our discussion -- we can always talk about the utility of bubblegum (seriously) or the ideal model of government (yay)!

What is law? Is it the codification of custom, or custom itself? Must we dogmatically abide by the rules when we know that the law no longer serves the purposes for which it was written? CAN we dogmatically abide by the rules -- consistently? What makes law so unifying despite the fact that it can have several reasonable interpretations? A commonly used example to illustrate the subjectivity of law is Amendment I of the US Const., which provides:

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech ...."

A literal reading of this provision would mean that States, the President, Judges, etc. can "abridge" speech, though not Congress. Moreover, one may argue that Congress can indeed abridge "speech," just not the "freedom of" speech.

All of these interpretations lead to grossly different consequences for our society. Thus, even if we try to live by the law, the consistency and neutrality it is understood for can be illusory. However, if we see law as a mere tool for gaining social command, then law would its power and prestige to unify a community.

Perhaps most importantly, does law bureaucratize process and sterilize the ultimate consequences of its enforcement? Do we feel less responsibility when we are merely "enforcing the law," and thus possess a greater propensity to act against our good conscience? Does law make us lazy? i.e., while we may forget the purpose of the law, we continue to enforce it without reexamining its utility or intent. Is law a shortcut to what is right?

Agree, disagree, or be disgusted with my proposition and compelled to move on to more splendid discussions, all are welcome to attend the meetup! Remember, the ultimate goal is to volley ideas and leave the table with smiles and a few good laughs. (we've been good at this!) There's no incentive to be "right" on any issue. I look forward to meeting everybody where it counts most.

ATB,
Ko