Hierarchy vs Centralization: Equality Against Itself
Description
"Equality facilitates the exercise of power." - Mirabeau to Louis XVI, during the French Revolution
There is no escape from organization and structure. We may try to create groups without structure, in which everyone is equal: but the result is the opposite. Structure arises spontaneously as a few within the group accumulate influence and power - only without formal organizational structures, their power can be hard to see and harder to challenge. The feminist Jo Freeman ("Joreen") explains this in her famous essay, The Tyranny of Structurelessness.
We often have the idea that eliminating hierarchy frees us. This is a useful story for those who dismantle hierarchy, whether they be tech companies or activist groups. But it is often not the case. In reality, hierarchies diffuse power, delegating it to branches and closer to the people at the bottom. That may be helpful, as when one has access to a local elected representative, or it can be tyrannical, as in Southern states in the U.S. during the Civil Rights struggle. But as Mirabeau told the King, eliminating hierarchy increases the power of the centre over everyone. Equality may not be what it seems.
This episode lays the groundwork for next week's episode, Fanaticism Without Faith: The Internet and the French Revolution, when I talk about how a few men were able to take control of France while appearing to do the will of the people.