Narrative

From Hobson's Choice

A means of explaining something that is not obvious; for example, the tendency for people to accept rule by monarchs, when they outnumber the monarchy and obedience is often costly. An explanatory narrative consists of a series of statements that are unsurprising, i.e., that do not defy our expectations, which can be arranged to explain something that is surprising.

• Why people accept rule by monarchs

1. Under primitive life, violence and want are common.
2. Violence and want are less tolerable when they cannot be predicted.
3. When people band together they are stronger and more resourceful than a single person.
4. If people band together, the uncertainty of violence and want can be reduced.
5. In order for a group of people to band together, they require some means of establishing who is responsible for what duties, and what the rewards and punishments are.
6. In order to take care of (5), rules are necessary
7. Rules are necessary but they are not enough: emergency decisions have to be made as well.
8. Under conditions of emergency, it is not tolerable for the group to be unsure of what rules to obey. Moreover, the rules may not have anticipated everything that can happen to the group. Hence, there has to be a leader.
9. One the band has selected the leader, it is dangerous if there is uncertainty about whether the leader's will is going to be obeyed. Hence, strict obedience means less uncertainty.
   1. If there is strict obedience then people are not embarrassed when they are required to perform shameful but needful duties.
   2. If there is strict obedience when the band fights another band, then valor in battle rather than cunning at evading combat will determine the biogenetic success/failure of each individual.
10. The most reliable way to make sure the leader of the band is good at defending it, is to choose a leader for valor in combat.
11. The most reliable means of determining succession is patrilineal.

The last point might require further exposition, but this outlines a typical narrative in classical political science. Ideally, none of the points above is surprising in itself; in the aggregate, they explain something quite surprising.

See Also

belief system
philosophy
ideology
dogma

James R MacLean (10:46, 9 February 2008 (PST))