We introduced The Master Contract (or MC for short) in a previous post. The Master Contract for the Absolute Austro-Libertarian theory is a small set of rules that form the basis of the Absolute Austro-Libertarian way of life.
We must now expand on its concepts and shed light on its principles.
The first Condition of the Master Contract states:
The acceptance of the rules contained within this contract is strictly voluntary.
Let’s begin by stating that the Master Contract is a contract. As such, it is not an imposition. It cannot be forced on to people and people cannot be born into it. It must be voluntarily accepted.
Why do we need a contract and not some other type of foundational document? A constitution perhaps? Because any other such document carries within the seed of a government. They are designed to state the type of government that people will be subjected to. On the other hand, the Absolute Austro-Libertarian system rejects all forms of government. Therefore these types of documents are not suitable.
Furthermore, the entire Absolute Austro-Libertarian system is based on the idea of coexistence between people. Please note that we did not say cooperation. That would be too much. People may or may not cooperate. That’s in the very nature of being human. However, coexistence is the absolute minimum that we must demand if we are to survive as species. Hence, coexistence it is.
But how do we achieve world coexistence? By asking that people abide by a small set of general rules stated in the Master Contract.
However, people need more specific rules, as different people behave differently. Specific rules cannot be dictated by theAbsolute Austro-Libertarian system, but must be developed between humans to make coexistence possible. These rules of behaviour must be voluntarily agreed upon or they will not be respected and coexistence will not be possible. If and when these rules are mutually accepted, they are known as agreements.
The Absolute Austro-Libertarian system is based on the idea that people must find or create rules they voluntarily agree on. But this is not enough. An element is still missing: Measurement. These rules must be robust and this implies that they must be as objective as possible, which in turn implies that some sort of objective measurement must be present. As the Absolute Austro-Libertarian system exploits basic commonalities among humans, the most basic one provides the answer we are seeking: we are all physical entities. As such, we have physical needs and require or desire physical goods. This naturally leads to economies and economies can be measured. In other words, the Absolute Austro-Libertarian system is built on voluntary agreements based on measurable, economic concepts. Such agreements are known as contracts.
Therefore, if the Absolute Austro-Libertarian system is based on contracts, it would be a logical contradiction to have a foundational document not based on one. Hence we have a foundational contract, the Master Contract, and not a Constitution or Magna Carta.
Note: please see the Glossary if you are unfamiliar with certain words.
Continue to The Master Contract Explained - Condition #2