When do Risky Choices Justify Inequality?

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Published: Oct 4, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.53.0.1101
Keywords:
luck egalitarianism equality risk choice disadvantage inequality chance uncertainty

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Keith Hyams
University of Warwick, Department of Politics and International Studies

Abstract

Luck egalitarianism is the view that inequalities are justified when and only when a particular condition is met. Recent years have seen considerable debate about the exact nature of the risky choices thought by luck egalitarians to justify inequality. All positions in the debate emphasise the importance of choice, but they differ in the precise details of how choice features in the inequality-justifying condition. The present paper argues for a novel view about the conditions under which risky choices should justify choice in a manner that uncovers ambiguity and flaws in existing positions. It rejects existing accounts and develops a new hypothetical choice based account of inequality-justifying risk.

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How to Cite
Hyams, Keith. 2017. “When Do Risky Choices Justify Inequality?”. Diametros, no. 53 (October):60-74. https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.53.0.1101.
Issue
No. 53 (2017)
Section
Ethics and Uncertainty

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Author Biography

Keith Hyams, University of Warwick, Department of Politics and International Studies

Keith Hyams, Associate ProfessorUniversity of WarwickDepartment of Politics and International StudiesSocial Sciences Building, The University of WarwickCoventry, CV4 7ALUnited Kingdom

E-mail: K.D.Hyams@warwick.ac.uk

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