Termine

"Fair equality of opportunity in unjust circumstances” by Dr. Anca Gheaus

Abstract:

Fair equality of opportunity is a principle that regulates competition for unequally desirable social positions; it requires that individuals with the same level of ambition and native talent have the same opportunities - or, in different words, a level playing field. In distributionally just societies, the magnitude of inequalities is itself regulated by a different principle - for instance, by luck egalitarianism, or some kind of prioritarianism, or, at the very least, sufficientarianism. By contrast, in certain kinds of unjust circumstances, two joint features render the competition for social positions morally objectionable: (a) the competition is in an important sense non-voluntary and (b) the pay-offs are unjustly unequal. In such circumstances, I argue, there is little if any value to to levelling the playing field. To the extent to which existing societies are unjust, current preoccupation with lack of social mobility is misguided: it makes no moral difference whether one is a victim of injustice due to lack of native talent or due to unlucky familial circumstances.

For our lecture series program, please check the Women in Philosophy Bayreuth website:
http://www.phil.uni-bayreuth.de/en/events/women_philosophy/index.html

Attendance is free. Join us in the philosophical discussion!

WOMEN IN PHILOSOPHY BAYREUTH
Women are underrepresented in philosophy. The aim of this lecture series is to promote the visibility of women philosophers and celebrate their contribution to the discipline. The lectures also create a friendly space for the public discussion of gender inequality.

This lecture series is being funded thanks to the support of the Stabsabteilung Chancengleichheit of the University of Bayreuth.