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Single Idea 23753

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

Full Idea

To the dimmed understanding of our age there seems nothing odd in claiming an equal share of privilege for everybody - an equal share in things whose essence is privilege.

Gist of Idea

People absurdly claim an equal share of things which are essentially privileged

Source

Simone Weil (Human Personality [1943], p.84)

Book Ref

Weil,Simone: 'An Anthology' [Penguin 1986], p.84

A Reaction

Not sure what she has in mind. Probably not the finest food and drink. I suppose she is attacking the modern egalitarian view of democratic society. What things have privilege as their 'essence'? Being a 'winner'? Interesting, though.

The 18 ideas from 'Human Personality'

23747 What is sacred is not a person, but the whole physical human being [Weil]
23748 The sacred in every human is their expectation of good rather than evil [Weil]
23749 The problem of the collective is not suppression of persons, but persons erasing themselves [Weil]
23750 It is not more money which the wretched members of society need [Weil]
23751 Rights are asserted contentiously, and need the backing of force [Weil]
23752 Giving centrality to rights stifles all impulses of charity [Weil]
23753 People absurdly claim an equal share of things which are essentially privileged [Weil]
23754 The only choice is between supernatural good, or evil [Weil]
23755 Genius and love of truth are always accompanied by great humility [Weil]
23756 The mind is imprisoned and limited by language, restricting our awareness of wider thoughts [Weil]
23758 Beauty is an attractive mystery, leaving nothing to be desired [Weil]
23757 The spirit of justice needs the full attention of truth, and that attention is love [Weil]
23761 Justice (concerning harm) is distinct from rights (concerning inequality) [Weil]
23760 All we need are the unity of justice, truth and beauty [Weil]
23759 Everything which originates in love is beautiful [Weil]
23762 Evil is transmitted by comforts and pleasures, but mostly by doing harm to people [Weil]
23764 The only thing in society worse than crime is repressive justice [Weil]
23763 Punishment aims at the good for men who don't desire it [Weil]