The problem with equality

[Eric Tarpall]

Lets say that bob and henry are equal. Bob wants to criminalize meat eating. And henry wants the opposite. They are both equal so their desires matter equally. Which means that neither of them can get what they want. Do you see the problem? I'm interested in hearing your perspectives.

[bejapuskas]

You are oversimplifying it way too much.

[Strikr]

then it's will of nature who decide

[bejapuskas]

It matters who's approach is more realistic and objective at that time... You can be as equal as possible, but if there are no animals on the planet or if it's impossible to grow plants, you won't have a choice... It goes deeper than this.

[Salvijus]

3 hours ago, Eric Tarpall said:

Lets say that bob and henry are equal. Bob wants to criminalize meat eating. And henry wants the opposite. They are both equal so their desires matter equally. Which means that neither of them can get what they want. Do you see the problem? I'm interested in hearing your perspectives.

Truth is that neither Henry's nor Bob's desire matters.

You're impying that everyone should have equal right to get what they want. But actually nobody has any rights at all. Nobody deservres anything. It's a human's invention and arrogance to think that you have any rights towards anything.

People should do what is needed, not what they want.

 

Edited November 23, 2018 by Salvijus

[rNOW]

2 hours ago, Eric Tarpall said:

Lets say that bob and henry are equal. 

Equal in what? What skills? Social standing? Wealth? Health? Wisdom? How do you measure equality anyway? 

Equality is always equality about something. 

In your example when you mention 'criminalizing' and 'decriminalizing', it applies to a larger social structure and not their individual desires. So what they desire is of little consequence against what is of benefit to the whole social structure and in what aspects. And what benefits someone or something always depends on what their goals are. 

 

 

[Pharion]

This is a false dichotomy. They can each do as they see fit, without criminalizing the other's behavior. This would the best solution.

[RichardY]

Henry should eat Bob.

I'm 'Enery the Eighth, I am,
'Enery the Eighth I am, I am!
I got married to the widow next door,
She's been married seven times before
And every one was an 'Enery
She wouldn't have a Willie nor a Sam
I'm her eighth old man named 'Enery
'Enery the Eighth, I am!

[Leo Gura]

@Eric Tarpall In practice actions and policies are not equal. They have various repercussions.

Criminalizing eating meat will simply not be a viable policy.

Policy only works if it's viable in the long-run and actually creates a tangible improvement of some kind for the majority of people. Policies which lead to less efficiency will get weeded out by natural selection.

You are free to have all sorts of beliefs and opinions about what will work best, but ultimately your ideas must be tested in the real world to see if they will actually fly.

Someone who believes the white race is superior -- that's not gonna fly in the real world. Not in the 21st century.

[Eric Tarpall]

7 hours ago, Salvijus said:

It's a human's invention and arrogance to think that you have any rights towards anything.

Arrogance is not a bad thing per se. People don't have rights but they have wants. And people want different things. That's why there will always be war.

7 hours ago, rNOW said:

Equal in what?

Worth & importance. I know those things don't exist but that's a different topic.

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Someone who believes the white race is superior -- that's not gonna fly in the real world. Not in the 21st century.

Unpopular beliefs have a hard time getting off the ground no matter what century it is. But it does happen sometimes. For example transgenders are a minority but they are getting their way somehow.

[Salvijus]

10 hours ago, Eric Tarpall said:

Arrogance is not a bad thing per se. People don't have rights but they have wants. And people want different things. That's why there will always be war.

 

Arrogance is not bad but it's stupid and it can only happen from ignorance. In reality no one is more important then anyone else.

And wars happen just because of that. Because somewhere we think our happyness is more important then others. And that can happen only if we're arrogant.

Edited November 24, 2018 by Salvijus