Political philosophy Equality of outcome

economist paul krugman in 2008.

and there general agreement outcomes matter. in 1 report in britain, unequal outcomes in terms of personal wealth had strong impact on average life expectancy, such wealthier people tended live 7 years longer poorer people, , egalitarian nations tended have fewer problems societal issues such mental illness, violence, teenage pregnancy, , other social problems. authors of book spirit level contended more equal societies better on other measures, , result, striving equal outcomes can have overall beneficial effects everybody.

philosopher john rawls, in theory of justice (1971), developed second principle of justice economic , social inequalities can justified if benefit disadvantaged members of society. further, rawls claims economically , socially privileged positions must open people equally. rawls argues inequality between doctor s salary , grocery clerk s acceptable if way encourage training of sufficient numbers of doctors, preventing unacceptable decline in availability of medical care (which therefore disadvantage everyone). analyst paul krugman writing in new york times agreed rawls position in both equality of opportunity , equality of outcome linked, , suggested should try create society each of want if didn’t know in advance we’d be. krugman favored society in hard-working , talented people can rewarded efforts in there social safety net created taxes less fortunate.

conflation marxism, socialism, , communism

the german economist , philosopher karl marx mistakenly characterized egalitarian , proponent of equality of outcome, , economic systems of socialism , communism misconstrued being based on equality of outcome. in reality marx eschewed entire concept of equality abstract , bourgeois in nature, focusing analysis on more concrete issues such opposition exploitation based on economic , materialist logic. marx eschewed theorizing on moral concepts , refrained advocating principles of justice. marx s views on equality informed analysis of development of productive forces in society.

socialism based on principle of distribution whereby individuals receive compensation proportional amount of energy , labor contribute production ( each according contribution ), definition precludes equal outcomes in income distribution.

in marxist theory, communism based on principle whereby access goods , services based on free , open access (often referred distribution based on 1 s needs in literature); marx stressed free access articles of consumption. equality in communist society not total equality or equality of outcome, equal , free access articles of consumption. marx argued free access consumption enable individuals overcome alienation.

despite this, socialists, communists , marxists believe eliminating exploitation, respective principle of compensation lead emancipation , greater equality found in capitalism because there no inequality arising private ownership of productive property.

perhaps insistent proponent of equality of outcome in modern political discourse fabian socialist, political thinker, , dramatist bernard shaw (1856-1950). opposed marxists, shaw have socialists place more emphasis on distribution rather production. developed ideas on economic equality (and implications social, democratic, legal, military, , gender concerns) in lectures , articles in ten years following writing of 1905 play on poverty , power, major barbara, @ same time fabian colleague beatrice webb primary author of 1909 minority report on poor law, along husband sidney webb, proposing abolish poverty in industrial societies introducing call welfare state. in 1907 preface major barbara, shaw first argue called “universal pensions life,” known universal incomes. following major lectures on equality in 1910 , 1913, gave fullest exposition of economic equality in series of 6 highly publicized fabian public lectures @ end of 1914, “on redistribution of income”—a phrase, put @ time, wanted circulation. although largely unacknowledged, of terms of equality debate since (such as, example, john rawls , many recent writers on inequality) outlined in detail in shaw’s 1914 series of lectures, argued gradual incremental process towards equal incomes, levelling-up bottom though union activity , labor laws, minimum , basic incomes, using such mechanisms income , wealth (inheritance) taxes prevent incomes rising @ top. in end, goal have been achieved not @ absolute equality, when remaining income differences not yield significant social difference. later fabian, w. h. tawney, further developed equality debate, shaw considered “equality of opportunity” virtually meaningless without economic equality. shaw later expanded pre-world war 1 work on equality 1928 political magnum opus, intelligent woman’s guide socialism , capitalism.