Resources versus Capabilities: Social Endowments in Egalitarian Theory
Political Studies 55 (1):133 (2007)
| Abstract | Two of the most important theories in contemporary liberal egalitarianism are Ronald Dworkin’s equality of resources and Amartya Sen’s capability approach. Recently Dworkin has claimed that Sen’s capability approach does not provide a genuine alternative to equality of resources. In this article, we provide both an internal and an external critique of Dworkin’s claim. In the first part of the article we develop an internal critique by providing a detailed analysis of Dworkin’s claim. Andrew Williams has contested Dworkin’s claim, but he has failed to convince Dworkin of his objections. We analyze this debate, and offer an argument that, we hope, settles this dispute. In the second part of the article we argue that an analysis beyond the current parameters of the liberal-egalitarian debate points to three significant differences between Dworkin’s and Sen’s egalitarian theories: the degree to which they rely on an ideal-theoretical approach; their ability to judge social structures that are intertwined with people’s social endowments; and their endorsement of a well-defined criterion to demarcate morally relevant from morally irrelevant inequalities. This broader analysis not only reinforces our conclusion that Dworkin’s equality of resources and Sen’s capability approach are genuinely distinct, but it also suggests some more general insights that may be relevant for a better understanding of contemporary egalitarian thinking. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | ||||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,653 |
| External links | This entry has no external links. Add one. |
| Through your library | Configure |
Similar books and articlesRoland Pierik (2006). Reparations for Luck Egalitarians. Journal of Social Philosophy 37 (3):423–440.
Jude Browne & Marc Stears (2005). Capabilities, Resources, and Systematic Injustice: A Case of Gender Inequality. Politics, Philosophy and Economics 4 (3):355-373.
Paul Bou-Habib & Serena Olsaretti (forthcoming). Equality of Resources and the Demands of Authenticity. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy:1-22.
Alexander Brown (2007). An Egalitarian Plateau? Challenging the Importance of Ronald Dworkin's Abstract Egalitarian Rights. Res Publica 13 (3).
Miriam Cohen Christofidis (2004). Talent, Slavery and Envy in Dworkin's Equality of Resources. Utilitas 16 (3):267-287.
Rasmus Hansen (2011). Equality of Resources and the Problem of Recognition. Res Publica 17 (2):157-174.
Steven Wall (2012). Backing Away From Equality. Criminal Justice Ethics 31 (2):96-105.
Rodney G. Peffer, What is to Be Distributed? The Paideia Project.
John E. Roemer (1994). Egalitarian Perspectives: Essays in Philosophical Economics. Cambridge University Press.
Martin E. Sandbu (2004). On Dworkin’s Brute-Luck–Option-Luck Distinction and the Consistency of Brute-Luck Egalitarianism. Politics, Philosophy and Economics 3 (3):283-312.
Philippe Van Parijs (2004). Equality of Resources Versus Undominated Diversity. In Ronald Dworkin & Justine Burley (eds.), Dworkin and His Critics: With Replies by Dworkin. Blackwell Pub..
Alan Carter (2004). The Quest for an Egalitarian Metric. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy 7 (1):94-113.
Nicole A. Vincent (2006). Equality, Responsibility and Talent Slavery. Imprints 9 (2):118-39.
Joseph Heath (2004). Dworkin’s Auction. Politics, Philosophy and Economics 3 (3):313-335.
Analytics
Monthly downloads
Sorry, there are not enough data points to plot this chart.
|
Added to index2010-12-03Total downloads0Recent downloads (6 months)0How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
