In an era ruled by materialism and unstable geopolitics, art must be restored to the center of public education.
Camille PagliaRead
The trauma of the Sixties persuaded me that my generation's egalitarianism was a sentimental error. I now see the hierarchical as both beautiful and necessary. Efficiency liberates; egalitarianism tangles, delays, blocks, deadens.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a change in perspective from valuing equality to appreciating hierarchy as essential for efficiency and beauty.
Camille Paglia expresses a transformation in her philosophical beliefs regarding societal structures. Initially influenced by the egalitarian ideals of her generation, she now argues that hierarchy is not only necessary for efficiency but also holds an inherent beauty. This perspective suggests that striving for equality can lead to inefficiencies that hinder progress, while embracing hierarchical structures can facilitate liberation and vitality in society.
Themes
HierarchyEgalitarianismEfficiencySocietyProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about societal structures, this quote could illustrate the importance of hierarchy.
More from Camille Paglia
All quotes →Every month, it is woman's fate to face the abyss of time and being, the abyss which is herself.
Camille PagliaRead
Serial or sex murder, like fetishism, is a perversion of male intelligence. It is a criminal abstraction, masculine in its deranged egotism and orderliness. It is the asocial equivalent of philosophy, mathematics, and music. There is no female Mozart because there is no female Jack the Ripper.
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The male orientation of classical Athens was inseparable from its genius. Athens became great not despite but because of its misogyny.
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We should teach general ethics to both men and women, but sexual relationships themselves must not be policed. Sex, like the city streets, would be risk-free only in totalitarian regimes.
Camille PagliaRead
Popular culture is the new Babylon, into which so much art and intellect now flow. It is our imperial sex theater, supreme temple of the western eye. We live in the age of idols. The pagan past, never dead, flames again in our mystic hierarchies of stardom.
Camille PagliaRead
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