Authors: Peter Rosner
Publish Date: 2016/08/11
Volume: 120, Issue: 1, Pages: 89-90
Abstract
It is widely accepted that in a good society people should be able to live according to one’s own plan and that all positions within the society should be open to everybody All should have the same opportunities That does not entail that the outcome is the same for all as it depends on the person’s endeavour and his or her abilities If within a given society that is the case for all this society is dominated by meritocracy if not it is from the agent’s position ‘luck’ which determines the outcome Furthermore it is a common idea that a society is unjust if chance has an important role in determining the outcome Indeed it is one of the basic ethical arguments put forward in favour of a capitalist society that a person’s effort and skills determines her position The issue in the book is not whether this is a valid argument and how far it carries but that it is an argument widely upheld
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