For those of you who read philosophy, this was exhasitively examined by B. Nozick
On Tue, 23 Feb 2010, Donal McEvoy wrote:
This was touched on recently, notably by Lawrence. Article and blog: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/edwest/100026946/is-there-a-moral-difference-between-nazis-and-communists/ In particular Tayles is, at risk of breaking netiquette, is worth quoting:- "Once you accept that all disparities of outcome in socety are down to prejudice and oppression, then it follows that inequality is unjust and those who hold an advantage over others have achieved it by means of cheating and bullying. If you believe in that particular conspiracy theory, then all the atrocities perpetrated in its name are blows for justice, rather than acts of unspeakable cruelty. The appeal of this worldview is obvious: it explains our failures and humiliations, and promises us a new model of society in which we will receive the wealth and influence we currently lack. Whatÿÿs more, it promises to handicap those people who flourished under the old system. Western intellectuals are particular susceptible to communist rhetoric, since societies that operate on free market principles have little need for their skills. They consider themselves to be wise and insightful, and regard any society that fails to endorse their sense of entitlement to be inherently unjust. They take up the cause of the downtrodden as a pretext for advancing their own interests and seizing the power denied to them. A communist takes their theories about society as a given. If they ever stopped to consider whether it was wrong that Stalin killed so many people, they would simply tell themselves that it was done in the name of the disadvantaged and is, therefore, okay. Those people deserved what they got, as they colluded in an unjust social order." This kind of explanation by way of self-interest might be contrasted with Popper's attempt to explain totalitarianism's ethical appeal in _TOSE_ (Popper was not blind to how self-interest played its part and his emphasis on ethical appeal is part of his strategy of attacking positions at their strongest, not weakest). It seems to me worth noting that this kind of explanation by way of self-interest works best if we assume that the relevant persons are blind to how self-interested their 'politics' are and how much (unconsciously) they derive comfort from their beliefs even if they remain politically marginalised. I believe I have met quite a number of such self-deluded individuals. [Hell, some are even English people who think having attended some left-wing meetings and read some left-wing literature they are in a position to lecture the likes of myself on Irish history. (Cf. Mo Mowlam: "Gentleman, I may be to you just another English Secretary of State for Northern Ireland but I am not going to patronise you or condescend." Adams/McGuinness: "That'll be a first.")] Donal Dnl Ldn ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
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