There is a certain way that philosophers talk that make them sound, to outsiders, like theyre spouting nonsense. Take David Miller, for example. He writes on the subject of equality in Philosophy and Politics:
"Complex equality recognizes a number of relevant dimensions along which individuals may be scored, but it does not insist that scores be equalized along any dimension in particular. Instead it claims that overall equality can be achieved by counterbalancing among the different dimensions. If the dimensions are independent, in the sense that there is no connections between how a person performs on one and how he performs on others, then relative gains in one direction can be set against relative losses in another."
A professional philosopher will know that Miller is merely summarizing the learned literature on equality theory. But a lay or uninformed reader will presuppose that the man has lost his mind. Do philosophers really say that equalitythe sublimest of all goalscan be had if only we could look into each heart and weigh or score each dimension of desire, awarding to each what he wants in proportion to how these rewards fit in with what each other persons desires?
They do say so, but you must understand that in philosophy we often discuss situations that might happen, that are theoretically possible, no matter how unlikely they might be. For example, we can imagine a Star Trek-like transporter device, and then ask questions about what happens if such a machine existed, all the while acknowledging that building such a device is next to impossible. So Miller might be talking theoretically and therefore might not be as nuts as he sounds...
I guess we all learn something. I too am fascinated by things. I am fascinated at how so many use sophistry to avoid the issue of objective meaning or rational conclusions. When everything is a rhorschak test then one is never wrong. Subjective reations to meaningless statements can mean whatever anyone wants them to mean. They are used to validate whatever preconceptions one has.
The inability to understand the importance of both the objective and rational as well as the subjective and irrational in human beings leaves one as ill-equipt as the one-legged man in the foot race.
If I look at it subjectively I sure can because then I can agree with anything and be right. It is the major benefit of attaching importance to the meaningless.
To claim the subjective is meaningless is very, very irrational and quite illogical.
I am a star in my own sky. If you are inhabiting a different sky you are probably not going to see me.
But, for fun, I can tell you that Marxists etc. do not know that equality is impossible. There is a large and growing literature on the subject.
If so, The Marxists must be writing that literature. I base my opinion on reading about Communists Goals, a list of 45 goals written by the KGB in the USSR outlining their intentions in destroying the USA, and about the Frankfurt School outlining the development of and implementation of their strategy for accomplishing those goals, Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals which suggests tactics for the accomplishment of those goals. They are following those tactics to a tee. It is not a plan for equality. It is a plan for power.
Key concepts are that the Marxists must disguise their intentions in order to implement policies which will accomplish them. That means they must lie and lying is a key to what they do. Lying is recommended by them. In that vein Alinsky taught that the issue (health care, global warming, illegal immigration, etc.) was never the true issue. The issues were just fronts for their true goal which was always power.
I also learned a lot by reading David Horowitz's books, his newsletters and websites. Mark Levin's book Liberty and Tyranny is also instructive.
For Marxists the goal is continuous revolution. That means the eternal destruction of the status quo. The battle is never won. Yet, the hypocrisy is evident. There are two kinds of Marxists - the movers and shakers, the power seekers, who know the truth about what they are doing, and what Lenin called the "Useful Idiots", those who actually believe what the leaders were spouting. Was there equality of the leaders and the followers? Obviously not! It was never intended to be. Equality was a Big Lie.
The Communist Manifesto itself envisioned, or at least proposed, that the "workers", the masses, would revolt and overthrow those in control. It was supposed to be a revolution of the have-nots against the haves. It never happened despite the continuing agitation by Marxists activists. The Marxists concluded that equality must be imposed since it wasn't desired by the masses. That in itself indicates that equality was not their goal. You cannot impose equality without the inequality of those imposing it and those on which it is imposed.
The goal of the Marxist was power! In order to exercise power successfully they needed a docile populace. The siren's song was the promise of equality. Their efforts to impose this "equality" on a docile society were often brutal and deadly. Millions were murdered and even more were enslaved. Does that sound like they wanted equality?
Does that sound to you like they really believed in equality? I guess it all depends on what the meaning of is is.
We are in a world of hurt and we all seem passive, weak, and unperturbed. Not a logical or effective response to the destruction of our laws, Constitution, life styles, economy, immigration flood gates, and dozens of other distractions. NASA is essentially a Muslim cultural center, Our borders are being evaporated, and the money is losing value daily, the drilling of our oil is blocked on every front, International Law and One World government is absorbing us bit by bit and we set and have theoretical discussions as to the meaning of what is is. We have lost our moral character and the values that made America great and live in a world of 10,000 distractions constantly. MOO
God help us in our day, Father nothing is too hard for you, come to the aid of America, and bind the forces of evil abounding in our land, in Jesus name, amen.