monogamy assumes someone will only have one spouse ever [emphasis added]
That’s not what I meant by monogamy—I wouldn’t call my relationship non-monogamous just because my girlfriend had sex with someone else years before I even met her, any more than I would call someone who used to eat meat but no longer does a non-vegetarian.
I agree that monogamy in your sense of the word would depend on something guaranteeing that enough people stay virgin until old enough to find a lifetime partner.
A better example is, are we free to engage in commerce if the police refuse to enforce either non-payment or non-delivery?
(I’m assuming you’re not talking about contraband, since police will not only refuse to enforce non-payment or non-delivery but also bust your balls if they catch you in a complete transaction.) Reputation can work for commerce too—ever looked at the feedback on eBay sellers or at TripAdvisor reviews of restaurants?
Another example, would you say companies are free to provide employee pensions if the law says that companies can cancel pensions anytime (even after retirement) and employees (or former employees) have no recourse if a company does cancel it?
I don’t know whether I’d call it a pension, but I’d say you’re certainly free to give me a given amount of money every month as long as you feel like it and then stop. (Of course it’d be foolish for me to rely on that money alone for their maintenance, but that’s another issue.)
That’s not what I meant by monogamy—I wouldn’t call my relationship non-monogamous just because my girlfriend had sex with someone else years before I even met her, any more than I would call someone who used to eat meat but no longer does a non-vegetarian.
I agree that monogamy in your sense of the word would depend on something guaranteeing that enough people stay virgin until old enough to find a lifetime partner.
(I’m assuming you’re not talking about contraband, since police will not only refuse to enforce non-payment or non-delivery but also bust your balls if they catch you in a complete transaction.) Reputation can work for commerce too—ever looked at the feedback on eBay sellers or at TripAdvisor reviews of restaurants?
I don’t know whether I’d call it a pension, but I’d say you’re certainly free to give me a given amount of money every month as long as you feel like it and then stop. (Of course it’d be foolish for me to rely on that money alone for their maintenance, but that’s another issue.)
That’s my point.
This, however, makes it harder for me to promise you a pension as part of employment negotiations.