Reassessing Egalitarianism

Achieving Social Equality Has Been An Important Aim Of Modern Democratic Societies. Yet The Process Has Engendered Debate About The Nature Of Equality And The Consequences Of Its Application. Why Is Equality Valuable? What Kind Of Equality Should Be Aimed For? When Is Inequality Justified? Should A Principle Of Equality Apply Globally? The Book Assesses And Links The Different Dimensions Of Equality And Asks Whether Recent Writing On The Topic Has The Philosophical Substance And Political Force Traditionally Associated With Egalitarian Thought. Machine Generated Contents Note: The Value Of Equality -- Equality Of What? -- Equality And Responsibility -- Global Egalitarianism -- Scope And Focus -- 1. The Value Of Equality -- 1.1. Introduction -- The Importance Of Equality -- 1.2. Equality As Intrinsically Valuable -- 1.3. Equality And Sufficiency -- Scarcity -- Thresholds -- 1.4. Prioritarianism -- Leveling Down -- 1.5. Egalitarian Responses -- Pluralism -- Fairness -- 1.6. Valuing Equality -- 1.7. Conclusion -- 2. Equality Of What? -- 2.1. Introduction -- 2.2. Equality Of Welfare -- Actual Preferences -- Success Theories -- Responses -- 2.3. Equality Of Resources -- Rawls And Primary Goods -- Criticisms Of Rawls's Account Of Primary Goods -- 2.4. Dworkin: Auctioning Resources -- Insurance And Endowment Insensitivity: Luck And Handicaps -- Dworkin's Equality Of Resources: Preferences And The Market -- Dworkin On The Market And The Role Of Preferences -- 2.5. Capabilities -- Sen And Capabilities -- Nussbaum And Capabilities 2.6. Assessment Of The Capability Approach -- Freedom -- Selection And Weighting -- Hard Cases, Heterogeneity, And Disrespect -- 2.7. Conclusion -- 3. Egalitarianism And Responsibility -- 3.1. Introduction -- Different Kinds Of Responsibilities -- Two Roles For Equality: Rawls And The Luck Egalitarians -- 3.2. Motivating Luck Egalitarianism -- The Harshness Objection And Lack Of Respect -- Limiting The Role Of Chance And Choice -- 3.3. Relational Egalitarianism -- Equality As Equal Standing -- 3.4. Luck Egalitarian Responses -- 3.5. Conclusion: Assessing The Debate -- 4. Global Egalitarianism -- 4.1. Introduction -- 4.2. Justice As Association: The Basic Structure -- 4.3. Assessing The Cooperation/reciprocity Argument -- Reciprocity -- Pervasive Impact -- Coercion -- 4.4. Moral Personality -- Moral Persons -- 4.5. Equality Of Natural Resources -- 4.6. Equality And The Carbon Budget -- The Atmosphere And Equal Shares -- Assessing The Equal Per Capita Approach -- 4.7. Conclusion. Jeremy Moss. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 165-173) And Index. Cover -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- The value of equality -- Equality of what? -- Equality and responsibility -- Global egalitarianism -- Scope and focus -- 1 The Value of Equality -- 1.1 Introduction -- The importance of equality -- 1.2 Equality as intrinsically valuable -- 1.3 Equality and sufficiency -- Scarcity -- Thresholds -- 1.4 Prioritarianism -- Leveling down -- 1.5 Egalitarian responses -- Pluralism -- Fairness -- 1.6 Valuing equality -- 1.7 Conclusion -- 2 Equality of What? -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Equality of welfare -- Actual preferences -- Success theories -- Responses -- 2.3 Equality of resources -- Rawls and primary goods -- Criticisms of Rawls's account of primary goods -- 2.4 Dworkin: auctioning resources -- Insurance and endowment insensitivity: luck and handicaps -- Dworkin's equality of resources: preferences and the market -- Dworkin on the market and the role of preferences -- 2.5 Capabilities -- Sen and capabilities -- Nussbaum and capabilities -- 2.6 Assessment of the capability approach -- Freedom -- Selection and weighting -- Hard cases, heterogeneity, and disrespect -- 2.7 Conclusion -- 3 Egalitarianism and Responsibility -- 3.1 Introduction -- Different kinds of responsibilities -- Two roles for equality: Rawls and the luck egalitarians -- 3.2 Motivating luck egalitarianism -- The harshness objection and lack of respect -- Limiting the role of chance and choice -- 3.3 Relational egalitarianism -- Equality as equal standing -- 3.4 Luck egalitarian responses -- 3.5 Conclusion: assessing the debate -- 4 Global Egalitarianism -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Justice as association: the basic structure -- 4.3 Assessing the cooperation/reciprocity argument -- Reciprocity -- Pervasive impact -- Coercion -- 4.4 Moral personality -- Moral persons Through an analysis of the different dimensions of equality, this book provides a critical introduction to recent philosophical work on egalitarianism, discussing the central questions associated with each of the major debates about egalitarian justice. Introduction Acknowledgements 1. The Value of Equality 2. Equality of What? 3. Egalitarianism and Responsibility 4. Global Egalitarianism 5. Conclusion: Assessing the Prospects for Egalitarianism Notes References Index