Read the two following quotes and comment on them in your journal. Agree? Disagree? General thoughts.
NOTE: These quotes are cited properly and I included a Works Cited section as an example for the research paper.
Gary Hull: "Egalitarianism, which claims only to want an 'equality' in end results, hates the exceptional man who, through his own mental effort, achieves that which others cannot... In an attempt to 'dumb down' all students to the lowest common denominator, today's educators no longer promote excellence and students of superior ability... Imagine the following Academy Award ceremony. There are no awards for best picture or best actor. Instead, every picture gets a certificate and every actor receives a prize. That is not an awards ceremony, you say? So it isn't. But it is an egalitarian's dream -- and an achiever's torment. Talent and ability create inequality... To rectify this supposed injustice, we are told to sacrifice the able to the unable. Egalitarianism demands the punishment and envy of anyone who is better than someone else at anything. We must tear down the competent and the strong -- raze them to the level of the incompetent and the weak... What would happen to a Thomas Edison today? If he survived school with his mind intact, he would be shackled by government regulators. His wealth would be confiscated by the IRS. He would be accused of 'unfair competition' for inventing so many more products than his competitors."(Hull 37)
Alexander Berkman: "[E]quality does not mean an equal amount but equal opportunity... Do not make the mistake of identifying equality in liberty with the forced equality of the convict camp. True anarchist equality implies freedom, not quantity. It does not mean that every one must eat, drink, or wear the same things, do the same work, or live in the same manner. Far from it: the very reverse in fact... Individual needs and tastes differ, as appetites differ. It is equal opportunity to satisfy them that constitutes true equality... Far from levelling, such equality opens the door for the greatest possible variety of activity and development. For human character is diverse." (Berkman 164-5)
Works Cited
Hull, Gary. Egalitarianism: The New Torture Rack. New York: Ayn Rand Institute, 2004. Print.
7 comments:
i think that making everyone equal is a stupid idea. in the story weread it doesnt make sense that the people didnt even think about how they have the tech to handicap people. as free thinkers we have progressedas a species and that is what makes humand superior to other animals. the theory of making everyone equal would basicly unevolve the human race
I am not doing this until Friday. Matt if you are going to write a comment atleast use proper grammar skills.
Very funny anonymous. Matt... "the theory of making everyone equal would basicly unevolve the human race"...interesting way to think about it.
I think that making everyone equal is completely wrong on a multitude of levels, and that I now see why you were having us change our minds about order vs. Rights. I like how in class you used a socratic method, but also like what mr berkman said in equal oppertunities. As to matt, I see you changed your mind, and to anonomous, is that supposed to be funny?
Can I write my response on here instead of in my journal?
O'Sullivan....sure
Making everyone have equal everything does not make sense. Without our differences we would not have anything to challenge us. To make us try harder to say...get on the honor roll, or even make the football team. If everyone gets a fair share of everything it can wreck the purpose. For example in chorus they say you get a solo and that only a few kids get them...then the few that did not get them complain. Then eventually they are not allowed to be sad anymore so Mrs. A gives then a solo. That makes the solo seem less important or special because other people got that that did not deserve it. Equality can also make things boring. Say everyone was identical. There would be nothing to say, no one would be able to start trends or set examples...because not everyone may agree. Everything has to be fair. Equality may be good for one person but not always for the other. Like if your in gym and you get to pick your partner...your going to pick the more valuable person to you. Either more athletic or your more friendly with them. But the onther kid that is left behind and not picked is forced to be added in your group and not to be mean but he was probably picked last because he was not valuable. So now he is on your team and could mess everything up. But since everyone must be included..thats the "fair" way. Equality is definitly not something I am always a fan of...
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