Inequality as a poison in society which will never be eradicated
Aiken Furlong
The claim ‘Inequality is a poison in society which will never be eradicated’ posits that (1) inequality is bad for society. Thus, (2) we ought to eradicate it. (3) But this will never be the case because it is impossible to do so.
First, we need to outline a distinction between two types of inequality.
A. Inequality without a purpose. ‘Bad’ suffering caus es inequality; by definition, the poisonous kind of inequality. This type is more common, e.g. racism, sexism, homophobic discrimination etc. Inequality between those who possess a character trait without choice (through birth) or one through choice (e.g. religion) but which is not relevant to the performance of a certain task, or one which we do not deem worthy of causing the agent to be treated differently because of such a trait. This discrimination leads to both emotional inequality (as the discriminated agent is much more unhappy) and economic inequality (since they are likely poorer as consequence of finding it harder to get a job or being paid less). B. Inequality with a purpose, that is, as a means to an end of benefit. Inequality which makes everyone better off. This is the more debated inequality which I will assess in the later part of my essay. I will argue that bad inequality is, of course, poisonous in nature, that it should indeed be eradicated, and, contrary to the statement, it is actually ‘possible’ to eradicate completely. I will then argue that some forms of limited inequality are not only useful for the greater good, but necessary and so should not be eradicated.
Inequality without a purpose
There are generations alive today who can remember South African apartheid. It may appear today that, many years on, we have made very little social progress. For those who as children were told ‘In the future inequality and discrimination will be things of the past’ , may be particularly dismayed that as adults it is still particularly persistent. Humans overgeneralize their experiences and even with a resurgence of discrimination in recent years leading to a feeling of hopelessness, it has certainly proven tough to get rid of. But I believe: not impossible. What we should learn from the past century is that inequality will never be eradicated if individuals are left to their own devices. To overcome such a vice requires an active response from society. One way inequality is said to be impossible to stamp out is because it is inbuilt within human psychology – it is ‘natural’. The evidence for this is the natural tendencies of children who, left to their own devices, group with those who are similar to themselves and are often hostile and bully those in other groups, those without groups, and those who are different. This is optimized in the novel Lord of the Flies , which observes the nastier side of humans in their so- called ‘state of nature’. Island
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