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Philosophical Dilemmas Topic Series
Is Equality the Highest Social Value?
Egalitarian vs. Elitist – Who’re You?

Are all people equal? Obviously the answer depends on what we mean by “equal”. In many ways people are not equal (for example about half of the humans are males while the other half are females, which does constitute some deal of difference).
But in political philosophy, the more pertinent question is, “Should all people be equal?”, or, in other words, “Is Equality the Highest Social Value?”, because that is a question about how we organize society.
Some say yes (egalitarians), some say no (elitists). What will You say? Think of the following questions, find arguments to Your answers, come to the discussion and do your best to persuade others that You are right!!! Maybe You will succeed. Maybe not. Maybe You’ll change Your opinion. We will see at the end of our meeting… ;)

1. Does owning private property make people not equal? Should it be removed?
2. Should everyone work? What activities can be marked as “not working”?
3. Should any expensive status symbols be excluded from production and consuming?
4. Are people naturally (and equally) lazy or naturally (and equally) active?
5. Should we have any competition or should we just work together for everyone’s benefit as fellow citizens?
6. Does equality mean loosing one’s individuality?
7. Do people have an inborn need to feel superior to others?
8. In a society with no private property can people consider (or learn to consider) their better accomplishments without feeling of being a better person?
9. Is equality unjust when people are rewarded evenly for totally different contribution (different jobs) to society?
10. Are all jobs equally essential to the society?
11. Does there exist such thing as excellence or “doing something better” in human activities? If yes, is it natural for human beings? Should we suppress it? Should we promote it?
12. Is it equality unjust when people are rewarded evenly for different quality of the same job?
13. When will individuals be happier – when they occupy their natural or deserved positions in a hierarchical society, or when they are all equal?
14. Should all people in a society have the same legal rights and privileges?
15. Should all people in a society have the same political rights?
16. Should all people in a society have the same economic (conditions and opportunities) rights?
17. Elitists claim they are more realistic than egalitarians. Is it so?
18. Can studying the Pruitt-Igoe urban housing project help us resolve the dilemma?
19. Can studying the Stanford prison experiment, Milgram experiment, Hofling hospital experiment, The Third Wave exptriment, etc. help us resolve the dilemma?
20. What society are we living in – egalitarian or elitist?
21. Can You give any real examples of both kinds of community?