Create Equality - Abolish The Family

[icyfroth]

The power of the family to tilt equality hasn’t gone unnoticed, and academics and public commentators have been blowing the whistle for some time. Now, philosophers Adam Swift and Harry Brighouse have felt compelled to conduct a cool reassessment.

Swift in particular has been conflicted for some time over the curious situation that arises when a parent wants to do the best for her child but in the process makes the playing field for others even more lopsided.

‘I got interested in this question because I was interested in equality of opportunity,’ he says.

‘I had done some work on social mobility and the evidence is overwhelmingly that the reason why children born to different families have very different chances in life is because of what happens in those families.’

‘One way philosophers might think about solving the social justice problem would be by simply abolishing the family. If the family is this source of unfairness in society then it looks plausible to think that if we abolished the family there would be a more level playing field.’

‘I don’t think parents reading their children bedtime stories should constantly have in their minds the way that they are unfairly disadvantaging other people’s children, but I think they should have that thought occasionally,’ quips Swift.

‘We should accept that lots of stuff that goes on in healthy families—and that our theory defends—will confer unfair advantage,’ he says.

Although it’s controversial, it seems that Swift and Brighouse are philosophically inching their way to a novel accommodation for a weathered institution ever more in need of a rationale for existing. The bathwater might be going out, but they’re keen to hold on to the baby.

Entire Article Here

So families should stop providing loving and nurturing environment in order not to disadvantage kid who aren't in a loving family relationship? So there's a level playing field for all children to grow up as equals?

Better still, take children away from their families and raise them in institutions to ensure a level playing field?

That's outrageous!

Trust the ABC to sprout such rubbish. They should be shut down and Swift and Brighouse should be the ones institutionalised.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

I read this:

Career Opportunities

Philosophy is the ultimate "transferable work skill."  With its emphasis on reason and argumentation, philosophy is an excellent preparation for a career in law, religion, business, international diplomacy, social work, medical management or writing as well as post-graduate education. Philosophy majors successfully work in, but are not limited to the following occupational fields:

• lawyer 
• banker
• public relations director
• publisher
• journalist 
• retail management
• librarian
• counselor
• marketing 
• consulting
• research
• accountant
• social worker
• professor
• self-employed
• labor relations
• foreign service officer
• public policy
• non-profit work 
• minister
• teacher

so, if you want to be good at any of the above, you would do philosophy first and then one of the above - eg law.

[gleee58]

You forgot the introduction to the discussion...  

Is having a loving family an unfair advantage?

Plato famously wanted to abolish the family and put children into care of the state. Some still think the traditional family has a lot to answer for, but some plausible arguments remain in favour of it. Joe Gelonesi meets a philosopher with a rescue plan very much in tune with the times.

So many disputes in our liberal democratic society hinge on the tension between inequality and fairness: between groups, between sexes, between individuals, and increasingly between families.

[the_great_she_elephant]

Philosophers  like to push the envelope simply because it encourages people to really think about their attitudes to social questions and ask themselves why they feel the way they do.

[bright.ton42]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

what do philosphers do? I mean how do they earn a crust?

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By saying kids should not be brought up in families, lol. 

[gleee58]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

Philosophers  like to push the envelope simply because it encourages people to really think about their attitudes to social questions and ask themselves why they feel the way they do.

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Yes, they do.  

They ask the question and discuss the idea.  

I don't get the impression, from the article, that they have a secret agenda to abolish the family unit.

[gleee58]

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@bright.ton42 wrote:

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

what do philosphers do? I mean how do they earn a crust?

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By saying kids should not be brought up in families, lol. 

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Is that what they said?

[curmu-curmu]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

what do philosphers do? I mean how do they earn a crust?

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Pretty easy question to answer, Rabbit - they dream up rubbish, and spew out drivel! Especially in this case.

Without bothering to research the facts, I'd venture to say that the family unit has the very best chance of raising well-adjusted, sensible and practical young adults. It certainly did for my 3!

Yes...there are parents who should have been sterilised long before being given a chance to breed, but they're the exception, rather than the norm.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

I remember seeing a show once - maybe Happy Days??

They had a guy who did nothing except lay on a table and think, then periodically he would sit up and say something, and then lay down again. Everyone else around waited for his words of wisdom. Does anyone remember the show? Was he a philosopher?

[alexander*beetle]

Wow, didn't most of you read past the first few lines. No wonder we are so quick to jump on opinions when the whole context of the article, plus the headline, are completely ignored. Without the headline the article is out of context. Talk about prejudiced posting. 

[the_great_she_elephant]

I'd venture to say that the family unit has the very best chance of raising well-adjusted, sensible and practical young adults. It certainly did for my 3!

But what is your definition of the 'family unit.'  Is it strictly mum, dad and kids? Or could it be single mum or dad and kids, two mums or dads and kids, foster parents and kids or maybe grandparents and kids?

And does a child who is in daycare for up to 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year suffer in comparison with a child who is at home with a parent all the time?

These are the kind of questions  that article invites us to explore.