Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia;  Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.

Conservative Capitalist Economist

1. Sapiens : A brief History of Mankind

 Yuval Noah Harari

 “Equality & Freedom”, p183.

   Post 1. September 2, 2017

Both Equality And Freedom

In Sapiens : A brief History of Mankind1, Yuval Noah Harari says, “Unlike the laws of physics, which are free of inconsistencies, every manmade order is packed with internal contradictions. Cultures are always trying to reconcile these contradictions, and this process fuels change.” That kind of erratic oppositional change is called “Cultural Evolution”, or the “Historical Progression”.

He gives an example of an Either/Or choice that is commonly viewed  as compatible, yielding a political paradox, “Ever since the French Revolution, people throughout the world have gradually come to see both equality and individual freedom as fundamental values. Yet, the two values contradict each other. . . . The entire political history of the world since can be seen as a series of attempts to reconcile this contradiction.”

That same incompatibility of civil values is exemplified in the polarization of 21st century American politics, as described by Harari : “Democrats want a more equitable society,  even if it means raising taxes to fund programmes to help the poor, elderly and infirm. But that infringes on the freedom of individuals to spend their money as they wish. Why should the government force me to buy health insurance if I prefer using the money to put my kids thorough college? Republicans, on the other hand, want to maximize individual freedom, even if it means that the income gap between rich and poor will grow wider and that many Americans will not be able to afford health care.”

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Freedom & Equality