The beauty of inequality

Standing on the eve of a new decade (Happy 2020!) it is sobering to observe that we are so preoccupied with debating the best way to achieve equal outcomes for all people, that few question the ‘beauty and goodness’ of equality as a policy goal.

​It is rare indeed [in the United States] to find anyone, especially any intellectual, challenging the beauty and goodness of the egalitarian ideal…the goal of equality has for too long been treated uncritically and axiomatically as the ethical ideal.
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​- Murray Rothbard, Egalitarianism as a revolt against nature.

​Equality cannot be beautiful and good in itself. It depends on what is equal, and why, and how.

​Inequality is an exceptionally beautiful thing. Or maybe it’s a terribly ugly thing. To most people, it depends on what is unequal and why it is unequal.

Robert M. Whaples, 'New Thinking on Equality, Liberty, and Human Dignity' 

​There is neither beauty nor goodness in equality that has been achieved through tyranny and coercion: equal pay, equal opportunities, equal access to all good things, equal lifestyles and everybody laughing equally at jokes that have been carefully tailored to ensure sure that all the topics being joked about are equal. Everybody ‘all in this together’ as we wallow in misery and poverty – because at least we’re all equal so it’s fine. Never mind liberty or fraternity; we also don’t care about productivity or success or any of that as long as we are equal.

​EQUALITY is the great political issue of our time. Liberty is forgotten: Fraternity never did engage our passions: the maintenance of Law and Order is at a discount: Natural Rights and Natural Justice are outmoded shibboleths. But Equality - there men have something to die for, kill for, agitate about, be miserable about.

The demand for Equality obsesses all our political thought. We are not sure what it is...but we are sure that whatever it is, we want it: and while we are prepared to look on frustration, injustice or violence with tolerance, as part of the natural order of things, we will work ourselves up into paroxysms of righteous indignation at the bare mention of Inequality.

J.R. Lucas, 'Against Equality' (1965) 40 Philosophy, pp. 296-307

How did ‘equality’ come to be so entrenched as an ideal, when the only way to achieve equality is by force? The coercion of law is necessary to achieve equality because human beings are funny old creatures: some of them are stubborn and they just want to be left in peace to pursue their own happiness as they conceive that to be as long as they don't try to hurt other people or steal anybody's stuff. Unless everyone is forced by law to share their stuff, some people will want to keep what they have worked for to be enjoyed by themselves, their loved ones, and their chosen charitable causes. Unless they are forced out of their jobs and livelihoods, they will continue to work harder than others and end up being more productive than others. Unless their inventions are banned, they will carry on being creative and thinking of new and different ways to do things so that life works better than it did before. Unless they are gagged, they will tell risqué jokes, and there will always be people who find them funny. This is the messy world of humanity, and it will carry on that way unless more and more laws are passed to bring everyone into line.

The nature of a man’s thoughts and actions, the life he lives, his concept of him­self are the qualities of being hu­man — the qualities of individuality, rather than the gray same­ness of imposed equality.

Anne Wortham 'Individualism versus racism'
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Treating people equally is achieved by upholding the rule of law and the principle of equality before the law. Making people actually equal can only be achieved by making it illegal for anyone to exhibit traits that are not ‘equal’ with others. We are all being watched, to make sure we talk, walk, and behave exactly like everyone else, so that it’s Fair. This is known as Social Justice. It means that doing things your own way is not permitted, in case it gives you an unfair advantage over others.

​There is all the difference in the world between treating people equally and attempting to make them equal. While the first is the condition of a free society, the second means, as De Tocqueville described it, "a new form of servitude."

Hayek, Individualism True and False.
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People want to be equal because they're afraid. They're afraid that somebody else might be enjoying an 'unfair advantage' that they do not have, because that person has some winnings from the great lottery of life. Now they can't sleep at night, tossing and turning with worry that their neighbour might be enjoying a better lifestyle than them and how is that Fair?

For my own part, I think the current obsession with Equality deplorable. There are problems enough in all conscience, to occupy our minds for the rest of this century, without inculcating in each man's breast a feeling of resentment because in some respect or other he compares unfavourably with somebody else.

J.R. Lucas, 'Against Equality'
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When people demand equality, they are not usually trying to assert their common humanity. What they usually mean is that somebody is enjoying some advantages they don't have, and they would like to have the same advantages. 

Human beings are the same in respect of being featherless bipeds, of being sentient agents, perhaps rational ones, perhaps children of God. They are not the same in respect of height, age, sex, intellectual ability, strength of character. These latter differences may be irrelevant, as the egalitarians assert: but they are not proved not to be differences by the fact that in other respects men are similar.

J.R. Lucas, 'Against Equality'.
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We are similar in many ways, and different in many ways, and it is not always easy to decide whether the differences or similarities are relevant or irrelevant to decision-making. Long ago, in the age of liberty, this was left to each person's moral code, to decide for themselves which factors they considered relevant to making decisions. Now, it is decided by law that differences are always irrelevant, and we are required to behave as if these differences did not exist.

Equality of all men—the egalitarian ideal—can only be achieved if all men are precisely uniform, precisely identical with respect to all of their attributes. The egalitarian world would necessarily be a world of horror fiction—a world of faceless and identical creatures, devoid of all individuality, variety, or special creativity.

Murray Rothbard, 'Egalitarianism as a revolt against nature'. 

The main claimants to Equality are those suffering some disadvantage or other. Therefore, in claiming your equality rights it obviously helps if you can identify a relevant disadvantage (the more historical, the better).

In a race to the bottom, where you win legal enshrinement of your Equality Rights if you can prove that you have suffered the most, everyone truly has an equal opportunity to be a winner. This is why today we witness epic battles for victimhood status. Everybody has an argument about why they’re a victim of society, based on their race, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, etc. We are all this miserable cesspit together! That’s nice. We can all argue amongst ourselves to see who gets the prize for being the weakest victim.

Even poor white boys are now recognised as victims, based on their multiple socio-economic disadvantages. This leaves only rich white boys to fend for themselves as the only people left in this world who have no legally protected grounds to complain about unfairness – although possibly they could complain that the tabloids are being unfair to them by showcasing their extravagant lifestyles and invading their privacy.

Complaining about unfairness is extremely important in the 21st century, and everybody tries really hard to find something to complain about and hone their complainypants skills. If complaining is the true path to power, then being unable to claim any legally ‘protected characteristic’ to ground your complaint becomes a real handicap. If your personal characteristic is not listed as a protected ground, like 'obesity' or 'veganism' or 'nudism' don't worry, you can always try to include it in some other ground that is listed and claim your Equality Rights that way so that your group is not left out.

It's hard to resist moaning and whining, in a world where claiming to be a victim of various unfairnesses is the easiest way to achieve your goals and aspirations. But do cut yourself some slack if you find yourself bemoaning your lot in life. The five-year old in each of us is always tempted to cry ‘it’s not fair!’ when faced with day to day tribulations, and it is a rare stoic who has never succumbed to tears of self-pity when faced with a challenge such as the excruciating pain of watching your neighbour enjoy an easier lifestyle with less effort. Human beings are frail creatures, for sure, and the tendency to envy others is very human, but our beauty lies not in our frailty but in our resilience – we should marvel not at people's ability to wallow in self-pity about historical grievances, but in their capacity to shake off their chains and press on with their lives in really difficult circumstances.

Beauty and goodness lie in truth, and the truth is that this beautiful world is characterised by diversity, not equality. Happiness lies in finding your own path and striving towards meaningful personal goals. 

No rational, self-responsible in­dividual relies upon the racism that plagues the nation. He does not beg for patronage, sympathy, and smiles. Instead of asking that others grant him a living, he knows he has been born with an inalienable right to whatever life he is capable of earning, accord­ing to his own purpose, his own virtues, which others cannot give to him and cannot take away.

Anne Wortham 'Individualism versus racism'
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Live and let live. Don’t try to hurt other people by creating rules that encroach upon their freedoms. Don’t try to take their stuff by passing laws that redistribute what they have worked for. Be true to your own ideals and don't try to force your beliefs on other people. Don’t try to dictate what other people should think, what they should read or study, whom they should listen to, what they should say, or how they should live their lives. Embrace your freedom, and let others pursue theirs. Happy 2020!