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The weird thing is that this article is in itself elitist. Cultural moralizing comes from a place of superiority and trying to morally improve the public. Inequ
by mrxd 6y ago
The weird thing is that this article is in itself elitist. Cultural moralizing comes from a place of superiority and trying to morally improve the public. Inequality exists because the elite class holds political power, not because there is stigma and bigotry against the working class.
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoHmm, yeah. "You should write this way, and not that way" says that "this way" is morally superior to "that way". That's classism in culture telling you to not be classist in terms of economics.
- mrxd 6y agoI wouldn't say that morality is classist per se. The idea of writers influencing the minds of their readers seems paternalistic, because the reading public are treated as impressionable children who need protection and guidance from their betters. And then it's a small step to saying maybe they shouldn't be trusted to vote, either.
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoI would say that classism often becomes paternalistic on the part of the "upper" class, so I see a fair amount of overlap between classism and paternalism. And I actually think that some ideas are better than others, and so are some versions of morality. And I think that those who have the better systems should teach them. But they need to do so with a fair amount of sensitivity and humility, not with arrogance. But then, I'm not the one preaching against classism.