Single Idea 22840

[catalogued under 25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 1. Grounds of equality]

Full Idea

That the relation of equality might be considered a value in itself is an absurdity. Would the equality of blinding the only sighted person in a blind society be good? Is it inherently good that two trees are the same height? This is nonsense.

Gist of Idea

Mere equality, as in two trees being the same height, has no value at all

Source

John Charvet (Liberalism: the basics [2019], 08)

Book Reference

Charvet,John: 'Liberalism: the basics' [Routledge 2019], p.86


A Reaction

He cites Temkin 1993 as defending the blinding example! Obviously equality is only possible in certain respects (though electrons might be equal in all respects). So the point is to identify the important respects. The rest is rhetoric.