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2 - Equal Opportunity for Welfare

from PART 1 - Luck Egalitarianisms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2012

Carl Knight
Carl Knight
Affiliation:
Department of Politics, University of Glasgow
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Summary

Introductory Remarks

Consider the following simplified scenario:

  1. 1. (a) Steve holds £10.

  2. (b) Harry holds £10.

  1. 2. (a) Steve's taste is such that he would obtain 1 unit of welfare (hereafter: unit) from consuming a hamburger.

  2. (b) Steve's taste is such that he would obtain 10 units from consuming a steak.

  3. (c) Harry's taste is such that he would obtain 10 units from consuming a hamburger.

  4. (d) Harry's taste is such that he would obtain 1 unit from consuming a steak.

  5. (e) No change in the tastes of Steve or Harry is now possible.

  1. 3. (a) A hamburger now costs £2.

  2. (b) A steak now costs £10.

  1. 4. Steve would now prefer to have Harry's taste.

  2. (a) Prior to t (= a point in the past) Steve's taste was that of Harry's.

  3. (b) Harry has not deliberately cultivated his taste, nor could he ever have eliminated it.

  4. (c) Steve deliberately cultivated his present taste at t.

Which of these facts is relevant to egalitarian distributive justice? A wealth egalitarian replies that 1 alone is relevant, and that the existing distribution is perfectly just. A welfare egalitarian begs to differ: on her account, 2 and 3 also come into play. She views the distribution as unjust, on the grounds that Steve is only able to secure 10 units with his funds, whereas Harry is able to secure 50 units with his.

Type
Chapter
Information
Luck Egalitarianism
Equality Responsibility and Justice
 , pp. 44 - 86
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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