Equality, Egalitarianism and Social Stratification

This page: Egalitarianism is the belief that everyone is equal. Satanism upholds the belief that everyone is not equal, and is broadly in sync with liberal opinions on social, moral and legal equality. People are not equal because everyone has different skills, characters and abilities. Social stratification and organized meritocracy let those with qualities rise to the top. Therefore there should be equality of opportunity, rights and legal equality, but not social or economic equality. Intellectualism aside, there is still an overriding humanitarian cause for protecting the weak, ill and disadvantaged.

1. People are Not Equal
2. Equality of Opportunity, Rights and Equality in Law
3. Political Inequality
4. Welfare

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People are Not Equal

"People are not equal in any way, shape or form. I do believe in equal Human Rights, though. What those rights are are a different matter altogether. Socially, in terms of ability, no-one is equal to anyone else. Everyone is unique and that means that according to the situation, everyone has different talent.

Not everyone can lead, not everyone can follow. Not everyone can physically defend themselves, and not everyone can understand complex thoughts. In different times and places people's skills are brought to bear. It is the individuals job to find his natural position in society. It is societies job to help those who cannot perform in some areas. Each individual was weaknesses, and without society to protect us, many of our weaknesses would be fatal. Society is essential for stability and growth.

Within society, all much contribute what they can in order to achieve what they want to achieve. Hopefully, through a system of rewards, those with ability in some areas will attain more influence in those areas. This is stratification. Society (as a whole) has an obligation to help those who cannot help themselves (because we do not give up on people, even if they seem useless). But on top of that, everyone must find their own level according to their ability.

Life is unfair, the elements and the universe do not assume we have rights. You must give, create and develop yourself in society... there is no other way. The Alien Elite are those who can succeed where they want, according to their abilities and still not be victims of this amoral system, but see and understand how it works."

"Elitism and Satanism" by Vexen Crabtree, 2002 Jan

"Stratification - The point on which all the others ultimately rest. There can be no more myth of "equality" for all - it only translates to "mediocrity" and supports the weak at the expense of the strong. Water must be allowed to seek its own level without interference from apologists for incompetence. No one should be protected from the effects of his own stupidity."

Anton LaVey, "Pentagonal Revisionism" point One

Equality of Opportunity, Rights and Equality in Law

"A commitment to equality [including economic and social equality] is in many respects the defining feature of socialist ideology, equality being the political value that most clearly distinguishes socialism from its rivals, notably liberalism and conservatism. Conservatives believe society to be naturally hierarchic, and therefore reject the idea of social equality as simply absurd. Liberals, however, are committed to equality, but on the grounds that all individuals are of equal moral worth and are therefore entitled to equal rights and respect. They are nevertheless born with very different talents and skills and are entitled to be rewarded accordingly: those who work hard and possess abilities deserve to be wealthier than those who do not. Liberals therefore favour equality of opportunity, but see no reason why this should, or will, lead to social and economic equality"

"Political Ideologies" by Andrew Heywood, p111

Liberal Equality, not Socialist
Satanism is therefore in sync with Liberal beliefs on equality, but not with Socialism or Conservatism. Socialism, in its various forms, is far removed from Satanism in terms of its ideology on economic or social equality as will be clear from the section above; people are not equal. Conservatism sounds enticing with its strong insistence on a social hierarchy, which sounds like the same as Satanic "stratification" where "water finds its own level", but in conservatism this is not what it seems, which I'll explain after confirming the Liberal position.

Liberal equality is that born are all different, but everyone should be given equality of opportunity to become great. This is in accordance with Nietzsche's philosophy on superman and with Satanism's elitism. Meritocracy demands equality of opportunity: If good people still remain at the bottom, the social system is broken. If those with talents rise, it works. This is equality of opportunity. Also the other liberal values of moral equality holds that moral beliefs are relativistic and all as valid as anyone else's. It is a hands-off approach to morality; liberalism is accused of being morally neutral, because it is. And this suits Satanists, masters of their own worlds, fine.

Not Conservatism
Conservatisms proponents would, as quoted above, "believe society to be naturally hierarchic, and therefore reject the idea of social equality as simply absurd". This sounds like a perfect comparison to Satanic ideals. However, it is not. What comes with Conservatism is an abhorrent defence of social inequality based on class and tradition rather than one based on meritocracy. In the conservative model, institutions and people are at the top because they're born there, socially, simply because they exist. But with no reflection of their true worth. Conservatism is closer to that Satanic Sin, "empty posturing", whereas those at the top are lucky, rather than skilled, bloated with false claims rather than fine-tuned with social grace or talent. The conservative model of hierarchy is an opposite to the Satanic belief in individual power to chose their own position in life.

Political Inequality

"When the masses remain ignorant and stupid, plain democracy is impossible and meaningless. Hollow campaigns do not facilitate the honest voting on government activity. But the stratification of voting bias does not lead to equal votes. But equal votes is the problem, not the answer!. I would declare to all that people are not equal. What a stupid person thinks government should do is less important than what an intelligent person thinks. Unfortunately no system exists that can determine in what way a person needs to be "intelligent" in order for their vote to get a higher status. [...]

A form of stratification fixes the leaks that democracy springs when the masses are ignorant and stupid. The tested intelligent electorate should have two votes, the uneducated and inferior should only have one. The present culture in the UK is at such a level of education that democracy has become an empty shell, until education reaches a generally higher level stratification is the least problematic form of democracy. Better to have a functioning unequal democracy rather than a dysfunctional, hollow pseudo-democracy based on simplistic deceit. The former is a little like a meritocracy, whereas the latter is national suicide."

"Satanic Democracy" by Vexen, 2004 Dec update

Welfare

It is to humanities benefit that we are capable of helping one another. Although there are many Satanists who disagree, I believe in protecting the weak, disabled and the ill of society, including those born with disabilities, those who have injured themselves through effort such as sport (though not those who are merely stupid, like smokers), those who are simply unlucky. This is because I am a compassionate human being.

There are those who hold that the weak should be allowed to die, or even be oppressed, because their survival is a detriment to the whole. This morality is one very close to the overpowering-state thesis of fascism, or the "community good at all costs" of totalitarian communism of Stalin-era Russia. The logic seems sound, but the result of putting this into action has, in history, without fail created monstrous regimes that have done no good for humanity. Therefore although I agree with the logic, in practice I find it too inhuman and too fraught with risk; the methods of this kind of filtering have always caused disaster, not emancipation from weak humans.

There are disputes within the Satanic community, no consensus, on the values of welfare organisations or state welfare programs.