how do you “factor” something like Aesthetics and Etiquette? I don’t have a good answer, and I will probably spend the rest of my life thinking about this.

Why does it even matter? Great question. It matters because many arguments, many social disagreements in life, are perceived moral violations. what is a moral violation if not a mere aesthetic disagreement?

“I think this Thing should look like this!”

“Well I think it should look like that!”

this is, like, 90% of arguments these days. what people are fundamentally disagreeing on is the aesthetics of the perceived moral dilemma. they disagree on what the ideal version, the proper version, of that moral principle’s expression should be.

and what is expression if not etiquette? if identifying moral violations is about identifying aesthetic features, solving moral violations is about operating within defines parameters of etiquette. when people disagree on how to do something, they are fundamentally disagreeing on the proper etiquette for solving the perceived moral violation.

all things come back to Aesthetics and Etiquette. identifying moral violations is a matter of aesthetics; what should this thing look like in its best version? solving moral violations is a matter of etiquette; how should this thing behave in its best version? these are the two dimensions — the two filters, if you will — through which all opinions and decisions flow.