(This is a copy of archived version 2a of this pattern. The latest version is at https://www.patternsofpower.org/patterns/moral/pluralism/acceptable/.)
Peaceful pluralism is only possible if people observe reasonable standards of politeness, which are summarised in this book by the term 'Socially-Acceptable Behaviour'. It complies with the Golden Rule: such behaviour is what one hopes for from other people. It is not an onerous requirement. It is widely practised on a daily basis in peaceful societies It is, though, hard to define precisely what it is €“ so it is not appropriate to apply the coercion of the law to enforce it. The requirements are rarely articulated and are taken for granted by most well-meaning people, so it might be argued that they are self-evident and not worth enunciating €“ but socially-acceptable behaviour is so important to society that it needs to be consistently taught (4.4.7.1) and people should put moral pressure upon anyone who doesn€™t comply, as discussed below (4.4.3).
Societies will vary enormously, so it isn€™t possible to define what socially-acceptable behaviour might look like on a generalised basis. It is worth considering, though, what sort of characteristics would need to be taken into account; the following list is a suggestion:
· People need to identify what they have in common, despite the variations in their individual views (4.4.2.1).
· Each society has a conception of human rights (4.4.2.2).
· People need to show each other respect, despite their differences (4.4.2.3).
· Different societies develop conventions of courtesy, which need to be observed (4.4.2.4).
· Last but not least, people should obey the law and show integrity; they shouldn€™t just do whatever they can get away with (4.4.2.5).
© PatternsofPower.org, 2014