November 20, 2006

Egalitarian Reformers and Liberty

By John Parrott
Egalitarianism is a seductive political perspective, offering a beautiful vision of the future, and appealing to some of our noblest ideals. It is the perspective of reformers like John Dewey and Roger Baldwin and Martin Luther King, some of the most prominent figures in American social history. It seeks to bring about equality where there is inequality and tolerance where there is intolerance. You can feel good about yourself for being an egalitarian. Liberal or activist egalitarianism's wisdom lies in its ability to recognize that individuals become great when they live and interact with other individuals in a common community. Liberal egalitarianism differs from classical liberalism in that the latter draws its inspiration less from the idea of fairness and more from the concepts of liberty and individual choice. John Stuart Mill observed that "the great creative individual ... is capable of more wisdom and virtue than collective man can ever be." Whereas the classical...(Read Full Article)