Załuski Wojciech, The Strategic Validity of Norms

1. Introduction: strategic vs. non-strategic validity. Does the fact that most people infringe upon a given norm N release ‘me’ from the duty to follow N? Or, in other words, does the validity of N hinge upon the fact that it is generally followed? If one answers these questions in the affirmative, it means that one endorses what I will call the ‘strategic conception of normativity validity’; thus, one assumes that norms are valid, i.e., constitute a reason for action, only if they are generally followed. By contrast, if one answers them in the negative, it means that one endorses what I will call the ‘non-strategic conception of normative validity’; thus one assumes that norms are valid irrespective of what most other agents do – whether they follow them or not – so one does not regard general compliance with norms as a necessary condition of their validity. Which of these two conceptions is correct? Before this question can be dealt with in a systematic manner, some clarificatory...