Thought for the day.

[elfs]

The reason why privileged classes are more hypocritical than underprivileged ones is that special privilege can be defended in terms of the rational ideal of equal justice only by proving that it contributes something to the good of the whole. Since inequalities of privilege are greater than could possibly be defended rationally, the intelligence of privileged groups is usually applied to the task of inventing specious proofs for the theory that universal values spring from, and that general interests are served by, the special privileges which they hold.

The most common form of hypocrisy among the privileged classes is to assume that their privileges are the just payments with which society rewards specially useful or meritorious functions. ... The educational advantages which privilege buys, and the opportunities for the exercise of authority which come with privileged social position, develop capacities which are easily attributed to innate endowment.

— Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society, pg. 79.

Comments

[tagryn]

Underlying that is the assumption that a meritocracy is more just than other forms of society. However, even a perfect meritocracy would still have inequality, unless one imposes a communistic/Harrison Bergeron-ish order, and even that has the "who decides what is just?" problem.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Niebuhr seems to be much more concerned with the notion that we have an illusory meritocracy-- too much of our privilege is environmental and inherited, rather than earned on merit. We can't deal with the justness of a meritocracy until we actually have one.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_candide_/]

…aaaand this would explain where Social Darwinism came from. (After all, Social Darwinism has absofargingloutly nothing whatsoever to do with natural selection.)

Hey, that's good

[brandywilliams.livejournal.com]

Would you recommend the book?

Re: Hey, that's good

[elfs.livejournal.com]

I haven't finished it, and it comes from a strongly Catholic point of view. I started it because Obama described Niebuhr as one of his favorite philosophers. It's tough going, though, mostly due to the density of thought. Still, I need my brain expanded again.