Inequality in Virtue Ethics and Ethical Egoism
Distributive justice attempts to limit economic inequalities that may arise in a society and is often associated with a minimum standard of living. While political equality concerns a citizen's political power, economic equality is commonly equated to equal opportunity, though the two are not mutually exclusive (Justice and Equality). In this paper I will explore the virtues of charity, tolerance, and empathy, considering their potential contribution to the reduction of inequality. I will begin by showing how reducing inequality is beneficial to both individuals and society and is in the individuals true self-interest.
In the first section, I will examine how the thinkers Aristotle, Locke, and Rousseau have addressed the causes of inequality. Aristotle suspects that luck and nature play an important role in social inequalities, Locke attributes natural endowments among individuals to their product of labor which produce inequality but is also legally protected through private property, while Rousseau similarly considered natural advantages that lead to slight disparities which accumulate over time and manifest as inequality. Next, I will identify issues that arise from inequality. Issues stemming from inequality including negative externalities such as crime, lower overall productivity, and decreased economic growth make explicit the importance and benefits of reducing inequality from an economic standpoint. Mitigating the natural differences or luck that also generate inequality is an ethical imperative and a political ideal that may be akin to equal opportunity. The rational actor pursuing self-interest should also be charitable and the tradition of virtue ethics provides a nor...
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Economic inequality and injustice come in the same hand. Poor people are more likely to experience inequality and injustice. The negative assumptions of poor people are created by the media and politicians. Promoting economic justice by offering people living in poverty some form of social support. Barbara Ehrenreich found in her experiment the workforce for low-wage was difficult. Conley talks about the different types of social inequalities and how they have been unsuccessful.
Basically, these two ideas, the idea of naturally created equality and the idea of inevitable inequalities of wealth turned out to be very logical and harmonious. The inequalities of wealth are finally the result from the natural law and state in which men were first born in.
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After reading Rousseau’s Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, it is imperative that one is not impressed by the blue ribbon attached to this faulty account of society’s development and flaws. While he does make valid points in regards to man’s nature and his progression into the world of civilization, Rousseau’s words can mislead one into seeing progress as a force to be avoided, which would be a shame.
Ethical egoism is diametrically opposite to ethical altruism, which obliges a moral agent to assist the other first, even if he sacrifices his own interest. Further, researchers justify and rationalize the mental position of egoism versus altruism through an explanation that altruism is destructive for a society, suppressing and denying an individual value. Although the ‘modern’ age unsubtly supports swaggering egoistic behavior in the competitive arena such as international politics, commerce, and sport, in other ‘traditional’ areas of the prideful selfishness showing off, to considerable extent discourages visible disobedience from the prevalent moral codes. In some cases, the open pro-egoist position, as was, per example, the ‘contextual’ interpretation of selfishness by famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, can be described as a ‘grotesque anomaly’.
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Arguments about fairness and justice have been up for debate for centuries. "What do we deserve?", a question that has many individuals raising their brows to their efforts in their pursuit to achieve their goals. If it is said that we are all placed on an equal standard why are there individuals struggling to stay afloat? In Arora’s essay, he examines three forms of economic modals of social justices that question that idea of why the prosperous or the impecunious "deserve" their position or stature in life. Out of all of Arora's economic modals that he presents the Meritocratic System is the fairest because it gives everyone a fighting chance.
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Throughout the existence of man debates over property and inequality have always existed. Man has been trying to reach the perfect state of society for as long as they have existed. John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Martin Luther King are three great examples of men who broke down the basics of how property and inequality are related. Each historical figure has their own distinct view on the situation. Some views are similar while others vary greatly. These philosophers and seekers of peace and equality make many great arguments as to how equality and property can impact man and society. Equality and property go hand in hand in creating an equal society. Each authors opinion has its own factors that create a mindset to support that opinion. In this paper we will discuss the writings of John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Martin Luther King Jr. and the factors that influenced their opinions on inequality and property.
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[1] Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Company, 1987. Print.
Political theories abound, considering many parts of society and the body politic. John Locke was one of the first to expound on the origins of property, and sixty-six years later Jean-Jacques Rousseau would also address the issues of property and inequality. According to Locke and Rousseau, the social contract is sanctioned by formal equalities yet creates or gives way to inequalities after it is formed. Though Locke would argue that inequalities in the private sphere don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the government, Rousseau would say justice gets deformed through inequality. Understanding how both equality and inequality can be present under the terms of the social contract is important because we cannot understand how to minimize inequalities if we do not first understand how they originated (origin). Inequality and equality can coexist under the terms of the social contract because the contract was formed under the influence of specious reasons with only an illusion of political equality.