Arguing for Equality

I just re-read the book of that name by political philosopher John Baker. He's a U.S. expat who mostly spent his adult life in the UK and Ireland. The book was first published in 1987. Sadly, inequality has greatly increased since then in the the U.S. and Britain. (As best I can tell, he's been at a university in Ireland since 1987.) The book is not academic at all. It's written in accessible, succinct everyday prose and intended for a general readership. He eschews the convolutions of analytic philosophy.

Although the book is short and easy to read, it's packed with ideas and resists easy summary. But I do want to start with the basic premise: that we should value a society in which there is less inequality of wealth, power and privilege. There are multiple categories of inequality, including gender, race and ethnicity, religion (which overlaps to some extent with the latter), inherited and acquired wealth, and status associated with profession or other sorts of classifications. These all have interrelationships both causal and correlational.

Obviously, not everyone accepts that some or all of these inequities are undesirable, or that they could in practice be eliminated or even reduced. That's why Baker has to argue. And so first he has to explain what he means by equality. People are not all the same. They have different endowments of talent, good looks, character and ambition. So an egalitarian society is not one of sameness, and there will in practice be some range of wealth, prestige and influence. But for Baker equality means first, that everyone's basic needs are met; second, that everyone have the opportunity to develop their talents, capacities and interests and lead a fulfilling life; and third, that no-one have grossly disproportionate political power or claim on resources. In other words, equality implies some form of inclusive democracy.

I'll leave you to ponder these goals, and whether you think they are inherently desirable or achievable. Then I'll have a bit more to say about it.