Equity: The Thief of Human Potential - Thomas Sowell

The Dangers of the Vision of Cosmic Justice

• The author believes that their admission to Harvard was due to their higher test scores than the average Harvard student.
• They argue that if teachers in the past had the present-day conception of fairness, their school would not have made it to an Ivy League institution.
• The author suggests that turning capable individuals into dependent clients is an injustice.
• They acknowledge that real justice and real equality are desirable, but argue that some versions of these are impossible and have costs and dangers.
• The author mentions that the people who joined the communist movement were seeking social justice, but the outcome showed the costs and dangers of it.
• They state that most ordinary Americans still have a traditional conception of justice.
• The author claims that those who have a cosmic notion of justice misrepresent what is happening as a violation of traditional justice.
• They argue that those who disagree with the vision of cosmic justice are subject to character assassination.
• The author believes that the whole society is a victim of character assassination because it discourages individuals from participating in the public arena.
• They suggest that people who are caught up in the vision of cosmic justice cannot re-examine the evidence to see if their advocacy is producing the desired results.
• The author gives an example of Lenin, who was more devoted to the vision of the proletariat than to the actual people.
• They argue that the vision of cosmic justice is beneficial to those who hold it, even if it is not beneficial to those it is intended to benefit.

Understanding Cosmic Justice

• Cosmic Justice is different from traditional justice, as it aims to equalize prospects for everyone.
• Applying the same rules and standards to everyone can lead to inconsistent outcomes and is incompatible with Cosmic Justice.
• The Supreme Court has been pursuing both traditional and Cosmic Justice, resulting in inconsistent decisions.
• Treating everyone the same requires mass-produced rules, while Cosmic Justice requires individualized and tailored solutions.
• Cosmic Justice seeks to correct not only societal inequities but also the natural inequalities of birth and circumstance.
• John Rawls distinguishes between formal equality of opportunity and fair equality of opportunity, which requires redress for undeserved inequalities.
• Cosmic Justice is often referred to as social justice, and its principles can be seen from community activists to the Supreme Court.
• Some educational institutions, like Stanford University, have sought to redress inequalities by not requiring certain achievement tests.
• The educational testing service is renorming test scores to account for social backgrounds and handicaps, aiming to redress pre-existing inequalities.
• The author reflects on his own education and acknowledges that his teachers' unfairness was necessary for his personal growth and success.
• Unfairness in education can be more beneficial than make-believe fairness, as it forces individuals to meet higher standards and overcome challenges.
• The author shares a personal anecdote about a classmate from Harlem who became successful due to the high standards set by their teachers.