I desire this independently of a desire to increase living standards / lifetimes / happiness overall, and I desire this for three reasons – the first is that I see high levels of inequality as an existential threat to society. The second is that I would not consider the current distribution fair, if I was to be incarnated into a human chosen at random. The third is that the more unequal society is, the less the ethical premise of capitalism (that it is right to reward those who fill market needs because they are equivalent to human needs and desires) is valid. Which I feel is important seeing as it is the dominant method by which we decide what gets done by the ensemble of human endeavour.
Tag: quotes
From an Internet comment, three excellent reasons to oppose large amounts of inequality
Posted by – January 31, 2018
A sense of pluralism
Posted by – November 16, 2017
Sujatha Gidla on Marxism as her worldview:
No, it’s a worldview. I would say Marxism is a worldview, and Marxism looks at the world in terms of class, like feminists looks at the world as men and women, and religious people look at the world as Christians and non-Christians, and Marxists look at people as workers and capitalists.
That is the worldview I hold, and I look at problems arising out of class difference, and I look at solutions that could arise out of class action.
That’s also how I view ideologies / worldviews, and pluralism to me is the idea of holding multiple worldviews in your head at the same time, and being not just tolerant but curious and positive about other worldviews.
Updated quote
Posted by – November 12, 2017
I can no longer sit back and allow SJW infiltration, SJW indoctrination, SJW subversion and the international social justice conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.
Georg Lichtenberg
Posted by – August 17, 2017
On the topic of commenting on nonsense culture war issues:
“I ceased in the year 1764 to believe that one can convince one’s opponents with arguments printed in books. It is not to do that, therefore, that I have taken up my pen, but merely so as to annoy them, and to bestow strength and courage on those on our own side, and to make it known to the others that *they* have not convinced *us*.”
And:
“A person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents.”
Both from the same author, Georg Lichtenberg! He also provides the True but Impossible path:
“Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinion at all.”
The man is a quote goldmine:
“Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.”
(I have found this to be true, although with a liberal definition of “everyone”.)
“We have no words for speaking of wisdom to the stupid. He who understands the wise is wise already.”
“A book is a mirror: if an ape looks into it an apostle is hardly likely to look out.”
“One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”
“Just as we outgrow a pair of trousers, we outgrow acquaintances, libraries, principles, etc., at times before they’re worn out and times – and this is the worst of all – before we have new ones.”
“Actual aristocracy cannot be abolished by any law: all the law can do is decree how it is to be imparted and who is to acquire it.”
And many, many more.
