equality and hierarchy

30 Oct 2021 02:15 - 16 Dec 2022 12:22
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    • Phil Agre on Conservatism: What Is Conservatism and What Is Wrong with It?
      • From the pharaohs of ancient Egypt to the self-regarding thugs of ancient Rome to the glorified warlords of medieval and absolutist Europe, in nearly every urbanized society throughout human history, there have been people who have tried to constitute themselves as an aristocracy. These people and their allies are the conservatives.
      • The tactics of conservatism vary widely by place and time. But the most central feature of conservatism is deference: a psychologically internalized attitude on the part of the common people that the aristocracy are better people than they are. ... People who believe that the aristocracy rightfully dominates society because of its intrinsic superiority are conservatives; democrats, by contrast, believe that they are of equal social worth. Conservatism is the antithesis of democracy. This has been true for thousands of years.
      • The defenders of aristocracy represent aristocracy as a natural phenomenon, but in reality it is the most artificial thing on earth.
    • Further reading
      • The Radicalism of the American Revolution, Gordon Wood
      • The Reactionary Mind, Cory Robin
      • The Crooked Timber of Humanity, Isaiah Berlin