The Equivalence of Egalitarianism and Prioritarianism

Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy 22 (1) (2022)
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Abstract

In this essay I argue that even though egalitarianism and prioritarianism are different theories of social welfare, they can use the same social welfare measures. I present six different arguments for this thesis. The first argument is that conceptual connections between egalitarianism and prioritarianism ensure that any measure that works for either theory works for both. The second argument is that conditions necessary and sufficient to identify egalitarian and prioritarian measures, respectively, are equivalent. The third argument is that both egalitarianism and prioritarianism can use two standard measures, typically proposed for only one theory. The fourth to sixth arguments contend that four properties that have been proposed as distinctive of either egalitarian or prioritarian measures cannot distinguish between them. I conclude that any egalitarian measure is also a prioritarian measure, and vice versa.

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Karin Enflo
Umeå University

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References found in this work

Equality and priority.Derek Parfit - 1997 - Ratio 10 (3):202–221.
Equality or Priority?Derek Parfit - 2002 - In Matthew Clayton & Andrew Williams (eds.), The Ideal of Equality. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 81-125.
Equality, priority, and compassion.Roger Crisp - 2003 - Ethics 113 (4):745-763.

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