Reading: Equality of Resources and the Difference Principle
Equality
of Resources
•Strict
equality of resources holds that a distribution of property rights in resources
is just if, and only if, it results in everyone having the same amount of
resources
•Solves
measurement and comparison problems
•Solves
expensive taste problem
•Problem:
leveling down
•Almost
no one holds this view
John
Rawls (1921 – 2002)
•John
Rawls was an American moral and political philosopher
•In
his book, A
Theory of Justice, Rawls
proposed a general concept of justice:
•“All
social primary goods – liberty and opportunity, income and wealth, and the
bases of receives the same resources unless an unequal distribution results in
the least well-off receiving more than the self-respect are to be distributed
equally if unless an unequal distribution of any or all of these goods is to
the advantage of the least favored.” (p. 301)
•The
difference principle says a distribution of rights and responsibilities is just
if, and only if, everyone maintains strict equal distribution.
Rawls
Difference Principle
•Strengths:
- Distributes measurable income and wealth
- Avoids leveling down objective
- Creates incentive for people to contribute
- Distributes measurable income and wealth
- Avoids leveling down objective
- Creates incentive for people to contribute
•Weaknesses:
- No extra shares for natural handicaps
- Does not hold people responsible for their choices
- No extra shares for natural handicaps
- Does not hold people responsible for their choices
Initial
Equality of Resources
Ronald Dworkin (1931 – 2013)
Ronald Dworkin (1931 – 2013)
•Equality
of resources says that a distribution of rights and responsibilities is just
if, and only if, it is the result of people’s free choices after an initial
strictly equal distribution of resources coupled with insurance against natural
handicaps.
•Ambition
sensitive: Initial strictly equal distribution of resources. After this,
people’s choices determine their fair share.
•Endowment
insensitive: A hypothetical insurance market provides extra resources to those
with higher costs due to handicaps.
Dworkin’s
Equality of Resources
•Strength’s:
- Incentives
- Responsibilities for choices
- Insurance against natural disadvantages
- Incentives
- Responsibilities for choices
- Insurance against natural disadvantages
•Weaknesses:
- Distribution will depend on both choices and luck
- Presupposes individual production rather than specialization and division of labor
- Extremely complicated in actual application
- Distribution will depend on both choices and luck
- Presupposes individual production rather than specialization and division of labor
- Extremely complicated in actual application
Last modified: Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 10:16 AM