How Norms Interact: On Normative Plasticity

Abstract

This short paper asks, how do norms interact? The answer is a theory of normative plasticity. On the theory, norms have two powers: to influence and to be influenced by other norms. The paper defines “norms” and describes the causality between norms and identifies filtering as the causal mechanism and refers to Heraclitus, Plato, Sir Edward Coke, James Madison, and Immanuel Kant.