Topic Brief: Egalitarianism
GOVT 329
May 30th, 2022
According to Charles Murray, egalitarianism is an element of a civic culture where
human dignity is equal, there is no aristocracy, and no matter what class of society people are in,
they are still treated equally. Egalitarianism is a movement founded on the theological beliefs
above gender where everyone is equal before God in terms of their humanity. This kind of
equality improves society by removing labels, social barriers, and racial prejudice and
eliminating social class barriers.
Arneson, an American philosopher, states, “Egalitarianism is a protean doctrine, because
there are several different types of equality or ways in which people might be treated the same,
or might relate as equals, that might be thought desirable.” A doctrine based on equality is bound
to change when the definition of equality changes, culturally. Where Murray states, “the
Egalitarianism of the nineteenth century had nothing to do with equality of outcomes and
everything to do with equality of human dignity.” Throughout this paper, many different
definitions of egalitarianism will be defined.
Since the beginning of America’s founding, equality politically, socially, and
economically has been a problem. “The traditional unconcern of most American about economic
inequality is evidence of American moral backwardness,” the inequality in America is far worse
than in Europe (Murray, 2013). The societal classes have shifted over the years where the
majority are in the middle class, so it is easier to look at other courses and see their inequality.
Now, when we see people in different medium types, it is a matter of what you had made for
yourself, not who your family was. No country in Europe had a social system at the time like it
(Murrary, 2013).
I chose to write my research paper about egalitarianism because it is an ever-changing
doctrine that is still so evident in today’s society. Although the other three traits are important in
culture, egalitarianism is most prevalent now. A few days ago, the Supreme Court overturned
Roe v. Wade, and thousands of people felt a significant amount of inequality was served. In a
divided nation, it is essential to research how we got here. Why did we enslave people if we were
founded with an egalitarian principle? I will include current events and historical moments to
credit my claims. Paul states, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” so as Christians in America, why are we judging (2020).
Throughout this paper, I will cover United States egalitarianism: past and present and how
inequalities have conditioned the world we live in today.
References
Arneson, Richard, "Egalitarianism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2013
Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/egalitarianism.
Christian Standard Bible. (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
Frohnen, B. P. (2016, July 21). Egalitarianism, American-style ~ the imaginative conservative.
The Imaginative Conservative. Retrieved from
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2016/07/egalitarianism-american-style.html
Murray, C. A. (2013). American exceptionalism: An experiment in history. AEI Press.
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