secular concepts of equality

strict/ simple equality

everyone has the same amount of goods (money resources etc)

equality of need

• summed up by Marx’s proclamation that goods should be distributed “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need”

• equality is best achieved by satisfying people’s needs

equality of desert

• goods should be distributed to the extent that people deserve them

• those who do the most (e.g. put in the most effect/ produce the most/ have the most talent) deserve the most resources

• for, of meritocracy

equal opportunities

• no matter an individuals background, gender or race, they should be able to pursue whatever course of action best fits their abilities

• legally enshrined in the UK

• ideally we should all have equal access to jobs, education and positions of institutional power

equality act of 2010

legally protects people from discrimination in the work place and in a wider society

what does the equality act do?

• replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some sitches.

• sets out diff ways in which its unlawful to treat someone

old legislation

• sex discrimination act of 1975

• race relations act of 1976

• disability discrimination act of 1995

WEAKNESS OF EQUALITY: harry frankfurt

• challenged the view that equality is a meaningful, bedrock ethical concept

• he thinks that discussions abt equality always relate to something more basic than the idea itself

• e.g. discussions abt economic equality are more to do w everyone having enough → we get more upset that poorer people get treated badly, not that some earn more than others. When people are on the receiving end of racism etc its more to do w lack of respect than a sense that we are not treated equally

• equality should therefore focus on more people having enough and being treated with respect by others (ends in themselves)

STRENGTH of harry frankfurt

• Robert Nozick, have supported the view of equality as a secondary value, emphasizing that equality should not be pursued if it undermines individual freedom or the overall well-being of individuals.

• In his libertarian work Anarchy, State, and Utopia, Nozick suggests that redistribution of wealth for the sake of equality violates individual rights, reflecting a view aligned with Frankfurt's critique of equality as a primary moral ideal.

CRITICISM of harry frankfurt

• amartya sen argues that Frankfurt’s view is a limited approach to addressing systemic inequalities

• Sen argues for a more comprehensive approach that considers a wider range of social, political and economic inequalities

• sen instead shifts the focus from income and resource distribution to actual freedoms and opportunities people have to achieve well ebing

• not just about equal access to resources but about ensuring that everyone has equal capabilities to function and lead a life

• STRENGTH: more practical (give a man a fish he eats for a day teach a man to fish he eats forever)

STRENGTH: john rawls

• asks us to imagine that we are going to become a member of a new society but presently dont know what part we play in it.

• Rawls thought that in our currently prior state (Original Position), where we have to collectively decide in advance from behind a ‘veil of ignorance’ on the rules that will govern our new world, that we would rationally attracted to choosing ones that could improve our situation if we ended up disadvantaged in some way.

• difference principle- allows for inequalities in society but only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society

• just society is one in whcih the distribution of primary goods is designed to promote fairness and equality (incl rights, liberties, income, wealth and opportunities)

evaluation of rawls:

• rawls liberal egalitarianism has influenced modern thinkers like David Miller and Brian Barry, who support his approach to political and economic equality. Barry, in particular, extends Rawls's ideas to a more global context, arguing for global justice based on Rawls’s principles.

• Richard Arneson has argued that Rawls’s framework offers a realistic approach to justice, which can guide policy decisions while maintaining the ethical commitment to equality. His view of justice allows societies to balance equality with efficiency, promoting both fairness and economic vitality.