This parable reminds me a bit of Nozick's "tale of the slave"[1] in its rhetorical sleight of hand: the reader is meant to be mesmerized by the slow transition

This parable reminds me a bit of Nozick's "tale of the slave"[1] in its rhetorical sleight of hand: the reader is meant to be mesmerized by the slow transition to an "obvious" conclusion, which obscures the larger inconsistency. In both cases, the outcome is only convincing if the story makes you forget your grounding: democracy isn't slavery (contra Nozick) and the earring is clearly not always right unless you're the most basic kind of utility monster. [1]: https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil215/Nozick.pdf https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil215/Nozick.pdf