Preferensism

It’s important to have a name for this new social system based on social choice which I am espousing. I have experimented with a few but rejected them for one reason or another. Some names are too hokey. Some are tongue-twisters. Some, or names like them, have been relegated to the scrap heap of history. For instance, I could call it Lawrencism. That would be egotistical, but Marxism has already been tried and Lawrencism might be associated with Marxism with negative connotations. I could always rant and rave and wave my fists crying, “100 years from now you’ll all be living under Lawrencism!,” but no I don’t think it would be a good idea.

I thought of an acronym, SIRIP, for Social Integration by Ranking Individual Preferences. The problem is anybody who didn’t know what the acronym stood for would have no idea what it related too. Another acronym I thought of would be SITRIP for Social Integration Through Ranking Individual Preferences, or SATRIP for Social Amalgamation Through Ranking Individual Preferences. The problem with acronyms is that they’re too technical sounding and don’t directly relate to or have the flavor of the system they stand for. Socialism, for example, implies a system based on a social (as opposed to an individual) ethic. Capitalism implies a system having to do with capital. Utilitarianism implies a system based on utility etc.

Since the system I’m proposing is based on preferences, I think a name like Preferensism would fill the bill. I thought of using preferencism, but the “cism” part is a little bit awkward in that people wouldn’t know if it was a soft or a hard “c.” “Preferentialism” would imply partiality, something which would be very bad and to be avoided at all costs. Also, “Preferencesism” is a little bit of a tongue-twister. Getting rid of the “ce” in Preferencesism leaves us with “Preferensism.” There is no doubt about the pronunciation, and it certainly resembles the words “Preference” and “Preferences.”

We even have a nifty slogan. Whereas Communism has the slogan “From each according to his ability; to each according to his needs,” and Socialism has the slogan “From each according to his ability; to each according to his work,” the slogan for Preferensism would be “From each according to his preferences; to each according to her preferences.” This definitely has the right ring to it since preferences are involved in both the work aspect and the consuming aspect of society. Who can be against greater preference in the workplace and greater preference in the marketplace? It implies more choices both in work and consumption which is a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say. Note that Preferensism is both a political and an economic system since social choice applies to both. For a more in depth explanation of Preferensism click here.