Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
Abstract
In Rescuing Justice and Equality G.A. Cohen argues that justice requires an uncompromising commitment to equality. Cohen also argues, however, that justice must be sensitive to other values, including a robust commitment to individual freedom and to the welfare of the community. We ask whether a commitment to these other values means that, despite Cohen’s commitment to equality, his view requires that we make room for inequality in the name of justice? We argue that even on Cohen’s version of egalitarianism equality, freedom, and welfare are not always compatible. Justice will require trade-offs between these values. Sometimes, equality will need to be sacrificed. This is a surprising result and to show it, we use two informal impossibility proofs drawn from examples in Rescuing Justice and Equality.
Recommended Citation
Thrasher, John, and Keith Hankins. “When Justice Demands Inequality.”Journal of Moral Philosophy, vol. 12, no. 2, 2015, pp. 172-194. doi: 10.1163/17455243-4681035
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
Brill
Included in
Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Other Philosophy Commons, Other Sociology Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Moral Philosophy, volume 12, issue 2, in 2015 following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at DOI: 10.1163/17455243-4681035.