From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Tue Aug 17 2004 - 07:32:01 BST
Dear Platt & Mel,
Platt asked 1 Mar 2004 09:04:53 -0500:
'What's the problem with inequality?'
Platt asked 12 Aug 2004 12:39:06 -0400:
'On the one hand, [Pirsig] says social equality is a good thing. On the
other, he says it's not a good thing to think that all societies are equal.
Is this a flip-flop? If not, what's the difference?'
Mel answers 16 Aug 2004 23:17:24 -0600:
'"Social equality is a good thing" seems to point to WITHIN a society.
(...as in opportunity)
The second point is a comparison between societies. (N v S Korea)'
A certain amount of internal equality is necessary to keep societies
together. Too much internal inequality (compared to inequality between
societies) motivates people to 'defect': it turns them against 'their'
(former) society and makes them seek membership of another one that promises
more internal equality. Islamism happens to be such a society that promises
more internal equality...
A certain amount of equality between societies is necessary, because the
whole of humanity is more and more becoming one society in many respects.
Too much global inequality threatens people's motivation to seek the good
for humanity as a whole and thus threatens the quality of our common future.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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