Week 5 Reading - Dworkin Flashcards
What is Dworkin’s central argument in Equality of Resources?
Dworkin argues that a just society distributes resources based on equality of resources, rather than equality of welfare.
How does Dworkin define equality of resources?
It means individuals should have equal access to resources to shape their own lives, rather than equal outcomes or welfare.
What is the envy test, and how does it relate to fairness?
A distribution is fair if no one prefers someone else’s bundle of resources over their own.
What is Dworkin’s auction model for distributing resources?
Resources should be initially distributed through a hypothetical auction where individuals bid on resources with equal starting funds (clamshells).
Why does Dworkin incorporate a market mechanism into his theory of equality?
Markets help assign values to resources based on individual preferences and allow for fair trade while preserving freedom.
How does Dworkin differentiate option luck and brute luck?
Option luck results from calculated risks, while brute luck stems from uncontrollable circumstances like disabilities or accidents.
What role does insurance play in Dworkin’s theory?
Hypothetical insurance markets compensate for brute luck by estimating what coverage people would have chosen under equal conditions.
Why does Dworkin reject equality of welfare as a principle of justice?
He argues that it fails to account for personal responsibility and leads to excessive redistribution to compensate for expensive tastes.
How does Dworkin address inequalities in talent and labor?
He argues that inequalities from different levels of effort are fair, but those from innate abilities should be mitigated through redistribution.
What is the difference between ambition-sensitive and endowment-sensitive distributions?
A fair system should be ambition-sensitive (reward effort) but not endowment-sensitive (unfairly reward natural talents).
How does Dworkin justify taxation for redistribution?
Taxes should compensate for brute luck, ensuring fair access to resources while allowing personal responsibility for choices.
Why does Dworkin argue against the starting-gate theory of fairness?
He claims that initial equality alone is insufficient because market inequalities accumulate over time.
