Ice Cream Soup

Hadison:  So what is value, dear Socrato?

Socrato: Value is what people want out of life.

Hadison:  But there are so many different people and many seem to be at odds in their desires.  Certainly there are many different values and not just one over-arching value.

Socrato:  Perhaps.  But what if we could find one value that all people shared?  Would that not be of supreme importance when considering the ideal form of government?

Hadison:  Maybe... It could turn out that the only thing that everyone values is breathing or eating ice cream.  That doesn't seem like it would be useful at all.

Socrato:  You're right, friend Hadison.  We need something of philosophical substance.

Hadison:  Okay, I'm ready to build the ideal government.  What's the substantive philosophical concept that all people share?

Socrato:  Let's be careful.  No doubt there will be a few outliers who will be at odds with everyone else.  We'll have to agree to not factor in their opinions.

Hadison:  And who would those poor uncounted fools be, Socrato?

Socrato:  I think we can agree that the opinions of very young children shouldn't factor in to our discussion of value.

Hadison:  Because they haven't had enough time to be indoctrinated?

Socrato:  No, because they do not have a deep enough grasp of the world to make any serious philosophical judgements about what is valueable.

Hadison:  I see.  And who else shall we exclude?

Socrato:  I should think that the opinions of insane people should be excluded from our discussion.

Hadison:  Because they don't agree with us?

Socrato:  No, because they don't see the actual world but instead perceive some world constructed partially or entirely in their minds.  Since they don't live in the same world as we do, their opinions about value are irrelevant to the discussion.

Hadison:  I see.  Will there be anyone else left out of our consensus stew?

Socrato:  I think it is best that we take as wide a sample as possible.