Intellectuals and Society

Pierre Manent state "that every man naturally wants to believe he is just as good as anybody else. In a democracy, the law adds its authority by giving him an equal share in the governing of the nation. But what his heart whispers to him and the law proclaims, the society around him incessantly denies: certain people are richer, more powerful than he, others are reputed to be wiser, more intelligent or talented. The contradiction between social reality and the combined wishes of his heart therefore incites and nourishes a devouring passion in everyone: the passion for equality. It will never cease until social reality is made to conform with his and the laws wishes. The strategies usually employed for coping with the discomfort of...