The “least common denominator”

• Individuals among all cultures, religions, and philosophies have disagreements on many moral issues (marriage, diet, rituals, sexuality, wealth distribution, etc.)…
• …but one thing unites us all: no one wishes to be the victim of aggression; to have their life, body, or property violated against their will.
• Therefore, not aggressing is the fundamental root of morality that all reasonable people agree on. It is the ‘least common denominator’, meaning that no contested moral preferences are added beyond this shared baseline.
• Respect for the Legal Principle not to aggress against each other is what makes us civilized. It’s an idea that humanity has been benefitting from for over 10,000 years, ever since the first cavemen agreed not to club each other over the head to resolve their disputes.
  • Lions and chimpanzees, for example, have no such laws, and it is not unusual to observe males killing the offspring of other males when given a chance. In contrast, the gift of reason and the subsequent Legal Principle not to aggress against each other is of immeasurable value to humanity.
• The law should reflect this most common fundamental moral root upon which civilized people agree: that aggressing is wrong. We can never achieve world peace and freedom until enough people agree on this fundamental point.