Envy has horrible force in human affairs--its the most common form of hate.z Historically, its been responsible for vast devastation and the collapse of empires. Much of what happened has happened to avoid its dangers. Many primitive societies have developed elaborate cultural practices to channel envy into less destructive ways than it tends to take when its unconstrained by social disciplines. But its a potent force, and people seeking power often think they can harness it for their own purposes. Recognizing this was part of the reason Burke could so accurately predict the reign of terror--a natural outcome of teaching the masses they had a right to hate the rich.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 06:46:44 +0000