Major ideologies merely replace one status hierarchy with another
Evidence
In Status Anxiety, the writer Alain de Botton argues that the most notable radical ideologies, from democracy and Marxism to Christianity, are ultimately radical reassessments of status criteria. As de Botton explains, “Philosophy, art, politics, religion and bohemia have never sought to do away entirely with the status hierarchy; they have attempted, rather, to institute new kinds of hierarchies based on sets of values unrecognised by, and critical of, those of the majority.” These visions often drift into utopianism, but again, we are not status monkeys, nor is there a primordial calculator in our genetic code that dooms us to dominance structures. Societies can—and do—take control of how esteem and benefits are allocated. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 821
Categorization
- DEFINE: Clarifies that ‘radical ideologies’ fight over the criteria of status, not status itself.
- XREF: connects to: Flattening the gap between standard and premium reduces status hierarchies — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 819; Status seeking acts as an invisible hand generating culture — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 25; Capitalism historically challenged ascribed status by rewarding fortune — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 83 (+1 more)