Extropianism and Nudism
Robin Hanson (hanson@hss.caltech.edu)
Thu, 8 May 1997 10:16:35 -0700 (PDT)
"Perry E. Metzger" writes:
>When I noted that one might be contractually oblidged not to go nude
>within common areas of a contractual community, I was thinking
>specifically of the case of the common areas of a gated private
>development or other areas not open to the general public. I was not
>thinking of areas such as a private park open to members of the
>general public.
>
>While it is possible for the owners of such spaces to obligate those
>entering them to wear particular clothing or even specific kinds of
>clothing, I am unsure about what societal norms are likely to arise in
>such spaces, and thus what sorts of obligations are likely to be
>common, and in any case the question is one more of sociology than
>law.
>
>... I suspect (again, without more than a hunch) that as
>people become more exposed to exposed people, the amount they will pay
>to be free of them would erode with time. People are happy to have a
>social norm enforced if they don't have to pay (at least directly) to
>do so, but they are less happy to do so if they would have to pay.
I'm not sure why you think people's preferences regarding nudity would
be very different in the comon areas of a gated private development,
vs. in a private park. If nudity is prohibited in one are, why
wouldn't it be prohibited in the other as well?
I don't see why we should think expectations regarding preferences on
nudity should be very far out of equilibrium. I think most people
know what naked bodies look like.
Also, within a small condo complex, does anything now prevents people
who want nudity from offering to pay an amount to the association to
allow it, thereby lowering other owner's fees?
Robin D. Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/