Wright’s One-Minute Rant on Equality and Envy
Forgive my ranting, but this is a pet peeve of mine, and a source of boundless frustration.
Sadly, so few people understand the simple and obvious idea of “equality” any longer that even some well read rightwingers and committed Christians find it impossible to grasp the meaning of the term, no matter how often or how clearly one defines it.
For the Left “equality” means “envy”– no man can be better than I, none more wise, none more wealthy, none more talented — except when it means “pride” — the craving of Lucifer to place his throne above God.
For the sane, “equality” means no legal privileges awarded to the ruling class by birth not also afforded to clergy, gentry, peasantry.
This means that a law forbidding trespass equally prevents trespass into the hovel of a peon as into the mansion of a millionaire; and that law against theft equally prevents a pauper stealing a penny as a prince stealing a fortune. If a knight may bear arms, so may a knave. And so on.
Equality means no class system, no ranks, awarded by birth rather than by merit.
Envy means no millionaires, no mansions, no fortunes, and, to accomplish this, no pennies and no hovels either. You will own nothing and be happy.
For the sane “equality” does not mean, has never meant, and cannot mean what the communists take it to mean: no man may differ from any other in any way, shape or form that any other might envy.
For the Left, it is illegal for a boy to be taller and stronger than a girl, and thoughtcrime to think otherwise.
And that is insane.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
