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WinningTheLottery 6 - 06 Feb 2009 - Main.MelissaMitgang
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Today, in the midst of the broader discussion of the Arnold reading, Professor Moglen talked about “winning the lottery”. I’ve thought about this frequently – that the place where I am today, and indeed most of the places I’ve gone in my life, were predetermined by the time and place where I was born. Obviously there have been choices made along the way, but I’m not interested in addressing how frequently these choices were actually conscious decisions or to what extent a conscious decision can even be reached. Rather, I’d like to address the issues that arise for me when I presume that my privileged position in life is largely due to random chance. | | | Michael, Professor Moglen's comment that recognition of the randomness of our position should make us think harder about our choices made me pause as well. I don't think that this acknowledgment dictates (or bars) any specific line of work – I do think that it means that we need to think harder about our choices and how those choices will enable us to help others. | |
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< | If a given person will be able to impact the world in a more positive way by working at a large firm (and donating a significant chunk of their salary to worthwhile causes) than by working at a non-profit, wouldn’t the law firm be the more responsible choice? (I recognize that working for a large firm reinforces the economic structure of our profession. While I think we’re all capable of changing the world for the better, I don’t think we’re all capable of changing the very way in which the legal world operates.) In today’s world, money can accomplish a lot - and I think it would be wrong to ignore that. | >
> | If a given person will be able to impact the world in a more positive way by working at a large firm (and donating a significant chunk of their salary to worthwhile causes) than by working at a non-profit, wouldn’t the law firm be the more responsible choice? (I recognize that working for a large firm reinforces the economic structure of our profession. While I think we’re all capable of changing the world for the better, I don’t think we’re all capable of changing the very way in which the legal world operates.) In today’s world, money can accomplish a lot - and I think it would be wrong to ignore that.
If a given person will be able to impact the world in a more positive way by working at a large firm (and donating a significant chunk of their salary to worthwhile causes) than by working at a non-profit, wouldn’t the law firm be the more responsible choice (assuming large firm work was suitable for the individual)? (I recognize that working for a large firm reinforces the economic structure of our profession. While I think we’re all capable of changing the world for the better, I don’t think we’re all capable of changing the very way in which the legal world operates.) In today’s world, money can accomplish a lot - and I think it would be wrong to ignore that.
| | | Realizing that we owe our position in the world to a lot of luck (without forgetting that we’re also here because of our hard work) means that we ought to make less selfish choices – but that recognition, to me, doesn’t mean that choosing to work at a law firm would be selfish, or that choosing to work for a worthy social good would be selfless. I think it’s all about the net positive change in the world our choices will enable us to make.
-- MelissaMitgang - 06 Feb 2009 | |
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> | | | | I think the topic may be confused as to which is my point vs. Michael's...
My point isn't so much that I didn't work hard enough to get to this point. My main question is, given the random advantages that many of us have enjoyed, whether others feel an obligation to do something other than merely forge a comfortable life for themselves. |
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