Zhihu Direct Answer
The "equality of outcomes" advocated by U.S. Vice President Harris and the "material equality" proposed by Ge Yimin may superficially seem to pursue fair distribution of social resources, but there are significant differences in their foundational concepts, implementation paths, and goal settings, so they cannot be simply regarded as consistent.
Foundational Concepts:
Harris's "equality of outcomes" primarily focuses on eliminating inequalities in social structures, ensuring that everyone can achieve the same results or opportunities. This concept emphasizes policy interventions, such as reforms in education, employment, and housing, to compensate for inequalities arising from historical and existing differences in race, gender, and economic background.
Ge Yimin's concept of "material equality" is closer to a communist or utopian ideal, advocating for the complete elimination of material differences between individuals, achieving absolute equality in material wealth for all. In his work "Nerve," Ge Yimin proposes that to realize the vision of communism and a new heaven and earth, it is necessary to eliminate the wealth gap through "material equality," allowing everyone to enjoy the same standard of living and resources.
Implementation Paths:
Harris's "equality of outcomes" emphasizes establishing a more just social system, allowing everyone equal opportunities to pursue their dreams, rather than merely distributing wealth or resources. This is typically achieved through specific measures such as legislation, educational reform, equal employment opportunities, and housing policies.
Ge Yimin's "material equality" seeks a more radical, idealized social form, facing enormous challenges in terms of implementation and feasibility in the real world. It may involve fundamental changes to the existing social structure and a redefinition of human desires and needs, which in practice may require extreme resource redistribution and changes in social organization methods.
Goal Settings:
Harris's goal of "equality of outcomes" is to achieve equal opportunities through existing social structures and policy means, allowing everyone a fair chance to pursue success, rather than merely distributing material wealth.
Ge Yimin's "material equality" is a vision of an ideal social state, pursuing absolute equality in material wealth for all, which may be difficult to achieve in the real world due to the complexities involving individual effort, talent, desires, and needs.
Therefore, although Harris's "equality of outcomes" and Ge Yimin's "material equality" share commonalities in pursuing social fairness, they fundamentally differ in depth of concept, implementation paths, and goal settings, and cannot be simply viewed as consistent. Harris's advocacy focuses more on improving social conditions through specific policies, while Ge Yimin's vision is a more idealized and utopian social aspiration.