samwik: "I don't worry so much about equality (diversity, random variation, etc.), but I think too much inequality is unjust."

Ah! Very interesting. This is a suitable subject for citing subjective semantics, samwik - excuse the alliteration! grin

The question is often raised, "If we're all different, how can we be equal?"

With reference to justice, the particular 'equality' I have in mind is social equality, as in 'civil rights', 'equal rights' and 'justice for all'. There's certainly a vast social diversity, hence the tendency to the notorious discriminatory trends that gave rise to those phrases. In a literal sense, "different" means "unequal" and by that definition we are all unequal; but in the humanistic sense, "equality" is an ethical concept meaning "of equal intrinsic worth", as opposed to the utilitarian concept "of equal usefulness".
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To avoid (semantic) confusion about my meaning: -

Utilitarian:

1. believing value lies in usefulness: relating to, characteristic of, or advocating the doctrine that value is measured in terms of usefulness
2. practical: designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty

My meaning is "1". ("2" applies to aesthetics, and is irrelevant to the issue.)

Likewise, the meaning of utilitarianism as applied to the above: -

Utilitarianism:

1. ethical doctrine of greatest good: the ethical doctrine that the greatest happiness of the greatest number should be the criterion of the virtue of action
2. doctrine based on value of usefulness: the doctrine that the value of an action or an object lies in usefulness
3. utilitarian quality: the quality of being designed primarily for practical use rather than beauty

My meaning is "2", not "1", but substitute "individual" for "object" ("3" applies to aesthetics, and is irrelevant to the issue.)

Definitions are from Microsoft® Encarta® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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If there is to be true justice - and, indeed, if the human race is to have a long term future - it's not enough that "all people are equal in the eyes of God". The future lies in the realization of the phrase "all people are 'of equal intrinsic worth' in the eyes of society" - in which 'all people' means (focusing once more on semantics) ALL people, EVERYWHERE.
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It might be interesting to examine the nature of human diversity.

What are the major sets and subsets of diversity (a) on a global scale (b) between cultures (c) within cultures?
Does each of these have ethical and/or utilitarian value?
...etc.

Perhaps there might be interest in pursuing those questions in another thread?


"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once" - John Wheeler