The wisdom and understanding of the Founders have been seriously eroded in our time. At the most fundamental level, rules find their reason in the never-ending desire of people to live together in peace and harmony, without the continuing Hobbesian war of each against all. All social science and philosophy must address this question, either directly or indirectly. In part, the relative neglect of the question in its explicit form stems from the absence of a clearly defined answer. When we recognize that man's natural proclivity is to pursue his own interests and that different persons' interests almost inevitably come into conflict, it is all too easy to despair.
Any social order seems to rest on extremely fragile foundations.
10.P.4 Two broadly defined escape routes have offered hope to scholars and citizens through the ages. One of them is man's capacity for moral improvement. People may, in a time to be, come to love one another. Much energy has been expended in promoting this objective. The observed record of success is dubious, although we do not want here to judge such effort unworthy or unnecessary.