Geert R. Teisman, Erik-Hans Klijn, J. Jacobs

J. Jacobs in her famous book Systems of Survival (1992) distinguishes between two ethical systems that she calls ‘moral syndromes’. The public domain is characterised by the guardian syndrome, the private domain by the commercial syndrome. The guardian syndrome involves values such as avoidance of trade and commerce, pursuit of discipline and loyalty, and respect for tradition and hierarchy. There is also a certain degree of fatalism, linked to a strong devotion to the task in hand. The commercial syndrome, by contrast, comprises values such as violence avoidance, arriving at voluntary agreements, honesty and competitiveness. Other values, such as optimism and appreciation for initiative, also play their part. There are two types of survival, according to Jacobs: tasks that are part of the state and trading that is linked to the market system. Each moral syndrome belongs to a pattern of survival and cannot be mixed without a problem. They are, according to Jacobs, mutually exclusive.

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