Daston again: "Regulations do not lay
claim to the moral high ground of principle, whatever their preambles may say. Instead, they wallow in the weediest details."

She talks about barking your shins on regulations, and that does seem to sum up the mood of the moment. And yet regulations smooth out societal bumps and hurdles -- a bit of inconvenience seems to me a ready price for health, safety, and a quality future. Do we still believe that? Do we?

#rules #Daston #Bookstodon

Here's the better bit that I was coming to Daston for:

"What to modern eyes reads as a pendulum swing between stringency and indulgence was to pre-modern sensibilities the only way to formulate a complete rule, both specific and supple" -- Daston, Rules: A Short History of What We Live By

Like I said, a mostly really-smart book!

#Benedictine #Catholic #OSB #rules
#Daston #Bookstodon

In fairness to Daston, the discussion goes on to talk about the rule's "extraordinary
resilience and adaptability," and it's that part of the discussion which drew me back to the book, and which I *will* draw on in my own material.

But I was really caught out by the mis-step early in the chapter in ways that hadn't hit me upon first reading.

Every reading is a fresh reading.

#Benedictine #Catholic #OSB #rules #Daston #Bookstodon