Equality Flashcards
What is the formal equality of opportunity?
“Agent(s) have an opportunity when they have a chance to attain a specific goal(s) without the hindrance of some obstacle(s)”
Cannot be explicit discrimination
Laws on hiring people
What is Rawls view on the formal equality of opportunity?
He is critical of it.
What is Hartley’s view on the formal equality of opportunity?
says formal equality fails (problem on the basis of disability)
What does Silver’s say about the formal equality of opportunity?
says that formal equality fails (problem on the basis of disability)
How can Amy Crowleys case relate to equal opportunity?
Not giving her opportunities to success
Not having an obligation to go beyond to basic help
Ignoring / not focusing on the difference
Does not recognize differences between groups or people (failing to acknowledge those differences → failing to have chance and removing obstacles)
What is the view of ignorance and who came up with the idea?
When the rules of society were applied and you didn’t know your place in society (income, race, gender, sexuality), how might you make rules?
What is merit? How must that relate to equality of opportunity
Distributed based on individual merit
Best qualification ought to get the job
What are the social barriers to equality of opportunity
Background factors that could contribute to their capabilities. How do we compare merit? Hierarchy of skill
What is equality?
Signifies correspondence between a group that have the same quality in at least one respect but not all respects
What is the concept of equal opportunity?
We should not be forced to be uniform in all our choices or actions
However, we usually want equality in terms of
Resources
Content of rules
How rules apply
When does the concept of equal opportunity apply?
Obtains when agents have a chance to attain the same goal(s) without the hindrance of the same obstacle(s)
Chance to attain opportunity
Obstacles
Race
Gender
Disability
Person → Some Obstacle → Goal
What do Rawls, Hartley, and Silvers have to say about formal equality of opportunity?
Rawls wrote in response to formal equality of opportunity- critical of it
Hartley and Silvers says it fails on the basis of disability
Case of disability ← Amy Crowly
Not giving opportunities to succeed
No obligation to go beyond minimal help
Does not recognize differences
What is the formal equality of opportunity?
formal rules should not exclude individuals from achieving certain goals by making reference to personal characteristics that are arbitrary such as race, socio-economic class, gender, religion, and sexuality. No formal barriers between you and your goal
What are the benefits of formal equality of opportunity?
“Thin accounts” - rules out caste systems, de facto exclusion left out
“Thick accounts” - rules out nepotism, direct racial discrimination l
What are the limitations of formal contract theory?
Not all positions should be open to everyone
Rules may still allow for discrimination
