A 19th century argument about the equality of human beings

In his essay ‘The Limits of Individual and National Self-Sacrifice’, F.H. Bradley makes an argument according to which all human beings can only be of equal value if each human being is of no value.

Bradley observes that in order for self-sacrifice to be possible, the self must have value. Otherwise there is no sacrifice. Bradley then uses his argument to infer that any doctrine according to which all human beings are equal in value does not allow for human beings to sacrifice themselves.

Bradley makes his argument while focusing on Christianity, which in its orthodox form is committed to the equal value of each human self, according to him. Although Christianity might appear to recommend self-sacrifice, he argues that orthodox Christianity in fact entails the impossibility of self-sacrifice. His argument also applies to liberalism, or any form of liberalism which has the commitment to equal value, as he realizes. (Some of Bradley’s conclusions run very much contrary to contemporary Western thinking.)

Here is a reconstruction of his argument that human beings can only be of equal value if they are each of no value (see p.18):

(1) There is only value in this world if there is an end which human beings are supposed to realize.

(2) If there is an end which human beings are supposed to realize, then their amount of value will be determined by how close they are to realizing this end.

(3) If there is an end which human beings are supposed to realize, they will vary in how close they are to realizing this end.

From (2) and (3):

(4) If there is an end which human beings are supposed to realize, they will vary in value.

From (4):

(5) If all human beings are equal in value, there is no end which they are supposed to realize.

From (1) and (5):

(6) If all human beings are equal in value, there is no value in this world. (They are only equal because each human being is of no value.)

An interesting feature of this argument is that it entails that if there is an end which human beings are supposed to realize, the end will never be fully realized. For according to premise (3), human beings will always vary in how close they are to realizing this end, some being closer to fully realizing it and others being further away.

Reference

Bradley, F.H. 1894 (originally written in 1878 or 1879). The Limits of Individual and National Self-Sacrifice. International Journal of Ethics 5: 17-28.

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