Egalitarianism, the Entry

by Will Wilkinson on April 10, 2006

I had forgotten, until just now, that I wrote the original Wikipedia entry for “egalitarianism” way back in 2001. How’s that for Internet philosophy geek cred?! It’s pretty interesting to see that though there have been about 500 edits, the conceptual framing of my original mostly remains, along with a good bit of the original boring prose. Yay path dependency!
My first try could have been more rousing. But I give myself credit for not simply writing “First!”

Tim

I re-added your libertarianism paragraph because it was too fabulous to leave out. If there's room for an extended discussion of Marxist theory, there's room for two sentences about libertarianism.

Tex

Evidently.

Wayne

Evidently Not, the former being what is seen clearly and the latter being...not?

Tex

Your text is written, the former being what you wrote and the latter being in such a way as to make me confused.

Evidently not.

Wayne

Tex,

Wouldn't it be easier to say "locked nuns in churches and burned them to the ground" or "burned nuns alive"?

Your text is written, the former being what you wrote and the latter being in such a way as to make me confused.

--DW

Tex

Libertarian socialism! Like the Hutterites, I guess.

You are being droll, right?

"Libertarian socialism" was the name used by the Anarchists of Spain during the Spanish Civil War (you know, the ones who locked nuns in churches and burned the former to death while burning the latter to the ground).

Class-war anti-exploitation types who once proudly waved the red flag of communism, now wave the red and black flag of "libertarian socialism".

Think of it as the cynical rebranding of cyanide. New and improved!

Bryan Caplan has more information about the Spanish "anarchists".