RE: No One Actually Wants an Equal Society
March 8, 2017 at 8:42 pm
(This post was last modified: March 8, 2017 at 8:51 pm by Catholic_Lady.)
(March 6, 2017 at 4:06 am)InquiringMind Wrote: I have an idea. Why has inequality in society (wealth, race, gender, etc.) stubbornly persisted in spite of many decades of efforts to alleviate it? Why has the discussion of privilege only intensified after much work to create equality? Here's idea:
No one actually wants an equal society.
How could you be rich if everyone had the same amount of money? How could you have the best job if all jobs were equally good? How could you be the best scientist if all scientists were equally good? How could you have an especially attractive mate if all people were equally attractive? If all posts on facebook were equally good, then why would it matter which ones you looked at?
In an equal society, there is never any chance to "get ahead" because everyone is equal. There is no such thing as "greatness" because everyone is equally good. No one wants this. Everyone wants the chance to "get ahead." Everyone wants a chance to climb to the top of the pyramid, to be a hero, and to be respected and admired above their peers.
No one wants equality. Every individual wants to live in a society where they, as an individual, are at they top of the social pyramid. People want high status, not equality.
What are your thoughts?
When we say we want equality, we mean we want equal rights under the law and equal human dignity. This doesn't mean everyone is going have the best job or be the richest, etc. It just means everyone has the right to strive for those things. And everyone has the right to human dignity.
(March 8, 2017 at 4:11 pm)Jehanne Wrote:(March 6, 2017 at 4:06 am)InquiringMind Wrote: No one actually wants an equal society.
Definitively not the way I feel.
Says the guy who just a few hours ago stated in another thread that if he had it his way, theists "wouldn't be allowed to be doctors, politicians, teachers, lawyers, be on juries, etc etc."
http://atheistforums.org/post-1522098.html#pid1522098
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh