Re:Why Inequality Matters
by thesteamboat on Thursday October 16, 2014 @10:31PM
(#8469137)
> Doesn't your use of "self-servingly" here apply to anyone who acts consistently on their beliefs?
It doesn't seem that way to me -- the "self-servingly" is applicable because it's deflecting Piketty's general criticism away from Mr. Gates personally. I don't see how you generalized this.
Well, this does sidestep the argument of whether certain forms of philanthropy should be encouraged over others. I do think this is more of a cultural problem than otherwise.
I'm not overly fond of TED talks nowdays, but this one still sticks out as awesome. http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about...
Basically, I think the argument is more that we might be better off if philanthropy was viewed as just another form of consumption.
Doesn't your use of "self-servingly" here apply to anyone who acts consistently on their beliefs?
If Gates (a) believes that philanthropy is ethical and effective, and he therefore both (b) engages in philanthropy and (c) advocates philanthropy, then (b) and (c) are separately consequent to (a) (which is a consistent principled stance); (c) is not due to (b) (which would be a self-serving rationalization).