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Re: Re[2]: Reality Check Redux
Ronald Kephart (rkephart@OSPREY.UNF.EDU)
Sat, 13 Jul 1996 10:37:57 -0400
In message <12JUL96.15584532.0048.MUSIC@ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> "GRABER, ROBERT"
writes:
> Noting that everything we know indicates that with societal growth
> (beyond a few hundred people) always comes social hierarchy, J. McCreery
> wonders how we can at the same time espouse egalitarianism--a
> provocative question indeed. I am curious about R. Kephart's response,
> which implies the existence of large societies free of structually based
> inequality. I had assumed that "structurally based inequality" was more
> or less what John had *meant* by hierarchy; but the response seems to
> imply otherwise. What do you mean, Ron, and what societies do you have in
> mind?
Bob (et al.),
I don't have my original message in front of me, but I THINK what I was trying
to say was that students should acquire knowledge and skill needed to analyze
small, large-scale, and imperialist societies, including their own. The
important thing for them to learn about egalitarianism is that it exists as a
human possibility; humans can, have, and in a few places still do live in
egalitarian societies. I agree with you that none of these societies (that I
know of) have been other than small-scale (bands, tribes, autonomous, or
whatever you want to call them). I just don't recall implying otherwise, and if
I did it was probably the result of my typing not keeping up with what's left of
my mind (which tells you how bad my typing is!).
Ronald Kephart
Department of Language & Literature
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL 32224
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