Editing Egalitarianism (section)

== Discussion {{anchor|criticisms}} ==

=== Alexander Berkman and Thompson et. al ===
Thompson et al. theorize that any society consisting of only one perspective, be it egalitarianism, hierarchies, [[individualist]], [[fatalist]] or [[Autonomy|autonomists]] will be inherently unstable as the claim is that an interplay between all these perspectives are required if each perspective is to be fulfilling. Although an individualist according to cultural theory is aversive towards both principles and groups, individualism is not fulfilling if individual brilliance cannot be recognized by groups, or if individual brilliance cannot be made permanent in the form of principles.<ref name="Thompson 1990">{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Michael |url=https://archive.org/details/culturaltheory0000thom |title=Cultural Theory |last2=Ellis |first2=Richard |last3=Wildavsky |first3=Aaron |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=1990 |isbn=9780813378640 |series=Political Cultures |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{Rp|page=121}} Accordingly, they argue that egalitarians have no power except through their presence, unless they (by definition, reluctantly) embrace principles which enable them to cooperate with fatalists and hierarchies. They argue that this means they will also have no individual sense of direction without a group, which could be mitigated by following individuals outside their group, namely autonomists or individualists. [[Alexander Berkman]] suggests that "equality 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 everyone must eat, drink, or wear the same things, do the same work, or live in the same manner. Far from it: the very reverse. ... Individual needs and tastes differ, as appetites differ. It is an equal opportunity to satisfy them that constitutes true equality. ... Far from leveling, such equality opens the door for the greatest possible variety of activity and development. For human character is diverse."<ref>{{cite book |last=Berkman |first=Alexander |title=What is Anarchism? |publisher=[[AK Press]] |year=2003 |isbn=1-902593-70-7 |pages=164–165}}</ref>

The [[cultural theory of risk]] holds egalitarianism—with [[fatalism]] termed as its opposite<ref name="Thompson 1990" />{{Rp|page=78}}—as defined by a negative attitude towards rules and principles; and a positive attitude towards [[group decision-making]].<ref name="Thompson 1990" />{{Rp|page=157}} The theory distinguishes between [[Hierarchy|hierarchists]], who are positive towards both rules and groups; and egalitarians, who are positive towards groups, but negative towards rules. This is by definition a form of [[anarchist]] equality as referred to by Berkman. Thus, the fabric of an egalitarian society is held together by [[cooperation]] and implicit [[peer pressure]] rather than by explicit rules and punishment.<ref name="Thompson 1990" />{{Rp|page=158}}

=== Marxism ===
[[Karl Marx]] and [[Friedrich Engels]] believed that an [[Proletarian internationalism|international]] [[proletarian revolution]] would bring about a [[Socialist mode of production|socialist society]] which would then eventually give way to a [[Communism|communist stage of social development]] which would be a classless, stateless, moneyless, humane society erected on [[common ownership]] of the [[means of production]] and the principle of "[[From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs|From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/index.htm|title=Critique of the Gotha Programme'|last=Marx|first=Karl}}</ref> [[Marxism]] rejected egalitarianism in the sense of greater equality between classes, clearly distinguishing it from the socialist notion of the abolition of classes based on the division between workers and owners of productive property.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Allen Woods finds that Marx's view of classlessness was not the subordination of society to a universal interest such as a universal notion of equality, but it was about the creation of the conditions that would enable individuals to pursue their true interests and desires, making Marx's notion of [[communist society]] radically individualistic.<ref>{{cite book |last=Woods |first=Allen |url=http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/docs/IO/19808/Allen-Wood-Marx-on-Equality.pdf |title= The Free Development of Each: Studies on Freedom, Right, and Ethics in Classical German Philosophy |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0199685530 |chapter=Karl Marx on Equality |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199685530.001.0001 |quote=Marx thinks the idea of equality is a vehicle for bourgeois class oppression, and something quite different from the communist goal of the abolition of classes. ... A society that has transcended class antagonisms, therefore, would not be one in which some truly universal interest at last reigns, to which individual interests must be sacrificed. It would instead be a society in which individuals freely act as the truly human individuals they are. Marx's radical communism was, in this way, also radically individualistic. |access-date=12 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109182602/http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/docs/IO/19808/Allen-Wood-Marx-on-Equality.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Although his position is often confused or conflated with distributive egalitarianism in which only the goods and services resulting from production are distributed according to notional equality, Marx eschewed the entire concept of equality as abstract and bourgeois, preferring to focus on more concrete principles such as opposition to exploitation on materialist grounds and economic logic.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nielsen|first=Kai|date=August 1987|title=Rejecting Egalitarianism|journal=Political Theory|publisher=SAGE Publications|volume=15|issue=3|pages=411–423|doi=10.1177/0090591787015003008|jstor=191211|s2cid=143748543}}</ref>

=== Murray Rothbard ===
In the title essay of his book ''[[Egalitarianism as a Revolt Against Nature and Other Essays]]'', [[Murray Rothbard]] argued that egalitarian theory always results in a politics of statist control because it is founded on revolt against the ontological structure of reality itself.<ref name="Rothbard">{{cite book |last1=Rothbard |first1=Murray N. |url=https://mises.org/library/egalitarianism-revolt-against-nature-and-other-essays |title=Egalitarianism as a revolt against nature, and other essays |publisher=[[Ludwig von Mises Institute]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-945466-23-4 |edition=2nd |location=Auburn, Ala. |access-date=17 February 2023 |orig-date=1974}}</ref> According to Rothbard, individuals are naturally unequal in their abilities, talents, and characteristics. He believed that this inequality was not only natural but necessary for a functioning society. In his view, people's unique qualities and abilities are what allow them to contribute to society in different ways.<ref name="Rothbard" />

Rothbard argued that egalitarianism was a misguided attempt to impose an artificial equality on individuals, which would ultimately lead to societal breakdown. He believed that attempts to force equality through government policies or other means would stifle individual freedom and prevent people from pursuing their own interests and passions.<ref name="Rothbard" /> Furthermore, Rothbard believed that egalitarianism was rooted in envy and resentment towards those who were more successful or talented than others. He saw it as a destructive force that would lead to a culture of mediocrity, where people were discouraged from striving for excellence.<ref name="Rothbard" />

===Equity===
{{Main|Social equity}}
The Atlas movement defines equitism as the idea that all groups should have equal rights and benefits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlasmovement.org/equitism|title=The Equitist Manifesto|website=Atlas}}</ref> The term has been used as the claimed philosophical basis of [[Telosa]], a proposed [[utopia]] to be built in the United States by [[Marc Lore]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gleeson |first=Scott |title=Billionaire Marc Lore outlines how he will build the inclusive, Utopian desert city Telosa |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/17/how-billionaire-marc-lore-plans-create-utopian-desert-city-telosa/5991523001/ |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kingson |first=Jennifer |date=August 25, 2022 |title='Cities of the future,' built from scratch |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/08/25/city-of-the-future-neom-telosa-lore-mbs |access-date=February 15, 2024 |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> [[Social equity]] is about equality of outcomes for each groups, while egalitarianism generally advocates for equality of opportunity, recognizing that a fair society should provide all members with the same opportunities while recognizing that different outcomes are expected due to human individuality.<ref name="abcnews">{{cite news |last1=Alfonseca |first1=Kiara |title=DEI: What does it mean and what is its purpose? |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/dei-programs/story?id=97004455 |access-date=25 March 2023 |publisher=ABC News |date=10 February 2023}}</ref>