Individualism and egalitarianism may seem an odd pair, since liberty in any degree produces inequality, while equality of outcomes requires coercion that destroys liberty. If they are to operate simultaneously, radical egalitarianism and radical individualism, where they do not complement one another, must operate in different areas of life, and that is precisely what we see in today's culture. Radical egalitarianism advances, on the one hand, in areas of life and society where superior achievement is possible and would be rewarded but for coerced equality: quotas, affirmative action, income redistribution through progressive taxation for some, entitlement programs for others, and the tyranny of political correctness spreading through universities, primary and secondary schools, government, and even the private sector. Radical individualism, on the other hand, is demanded when there is no danger that achievement will produce inequality and people wish to be unhindered in the pursuit of pleasure. This finds expression particularly in the areas of sexuality and violence, and their vicarious enjoyment in popular entertainment.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hard Truths About the Culture War
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Aw, c'mon: you don't even give a breadcrumb for the rest of Bork's essay:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9506/articles/bork.html
My titles always link to the original material. But it's good to have an excuse to point that out from time to time.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I'll get motivated to make that more explicit. For now I'm just using one of the default Blogger templates.