Catherine Macaulay, the 18th-century British historian, used to debate with Samuel Johnson* the question of social equality. One day at dinner in her house Johnson put on a grave face and said, "Madam, your arguments have converted me to your way of thinking. I am convinced that all mankind should stand upon an equal footing. To give you proof that I am in earnest, here is a very sensible, civil, well-behaved fellow citizen - your footman. I desire that he may be allowed to sit down and dine with us." This proposition the hostess indignantly rejected, much to Johnson's amusement.
"I thus showed her the absurdity of her levelling doctrine," said Johnson later. "She has never liked me since. Your levellers wish to level down as far as themselves, but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves."
十八世紀英國史學家凱瑟琳．麥考利經常和撒母耳．約翰生*爭論社會平等問題。有一天，約翰生到她家裏吃晚飯，裝出一副嚴肅表情，說道：「麥考利太太，你的議論，的確改變了我的想法。我深信人類一律平等。為了證明我是認真的，這裏有一位和我們一樣的公民，為人通情達理，舉止端莊有禮：我是說貴价。我想請他坐下來，和我們一起用餐。」麥考利憤然拒絕了這個建議，令約翰生深感有趣。
後來，約翰生說：「我教她明白，她的平等主義是多麼荒謬。而她從此對我沒有好感。那些平等主義者，只求在上者和他們平等，卻不能忍受在下者和他們平等。」
*約翰生是英國著名文學家及辭典編修家。