LESSON 3 : CORE PRINCIPLES OF

FAIRNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND

TRANSPARENCY.

Reporter: Leah S. Cabigon

SOCIETY AND THE STATE IN ECONOMIC LIFE
 Society is composed of people , each person free to act and in planned and rational
manner, and to work to the best of his abilities in order to support both himself and his
family. Of course, working to earn a living is only one form of activity in which people in
society are engaged. There are many others, such as playing a sport or, in the case of
students , studying for an exam. As we pursue our individual activities, we may get into
one another’s way.

 The potential for chaos is thus very real, not because people are inherently evil, forever
plotting and scheming to put one another , but because it is simply impossible for us to be
fully aware of and sensitive to others rights all the time , even if we try very hard. To help
people avoid feeling this way, and also to prevent them, in turn, from deliberately violating
others rights , the State enters to promulgate and enforce laws duly agreed upon by
members of society. Laws and the State function more like the conductor of an orchestra.
Each musician can play superb skill, perhaps better than any other musician not handling
that particular instrument. But to produce the full sound of an orchestra , complete with the
soulful harmony and sweet tonal quality, each musician has to follow a conductor.
SOCIETY AND THE STATE IN ECONOMIC LIFE
 In society, the State is the conductor who must coordinate everyone’s movements, its
members are the musicians who need to be guided according to the musical score, and
the symphony is the set of societal goals, which, when obtained , enables people to bring
out their best to improve their quality of life. But in the orchestra, the conductor needs to
look at the musical score , which can be viewed , in our society analogy , as the set of laws
and regulations.

 The orchestra produces harmony when each musician pays attention to the conductor and
his own sheet of music! The musicians do not choose what sheet of music to bring and
follow; they use the same score as what conductor is following. The conductor expects
each instrument to be great at what it is designed for, and to be used in harmony with the
others , to create great music. These traits of the musicians –justice , obedience, and
accountability are important for harmony.