Liberty, Desert and the Market: A Philosophical StudyAre inequalities of income created by the free market just? In this book Serena Olsaretti examines two main arguments that justify those inequalities: the first claims that they are just because they are deserved, and the second claims that they are just because they are what free individuals are entitled to. Both these arguments purport to show, in different ways, that giving responsible individuals their due requires that free market inequalities in incomes be allowed. Olsaretti argues, however, that neither argument is successful, and shows that when we examine closely the principle of desert and the notions of liberty and choice invoked by defenders of the free market, it appears that a conception of justice that would accommodate these notions, far from supporting free market inequalities, calls for their elimination. Her book will be of interest to a wide range of readers in political philosophy, political theory and normative economics. |
Contents
| 1 | |
Chapter 1 Desert and justifications of the market | 10 |
Chapter 2 Incentive payments and compensatory desert | 39 |
Chapter 3 Productive contributions and deserved market rewards | 62 |
Chapter 4 Liberty and entitlements in the libertarian justification of the free market | 86 |
a critique | 109 |
beyond libertarians and their critics | 137 |
Conclusion | 162 |
| 170 | |
| 181 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acceptable accordance action activities affected agent alternative appeal argue argument assume Audrey basis Burt chapter choice choose coercion Cohen commitment comparative compensation compensatory desert conception concern consider considerations constraints contention contribution costs defend defined definition demands desert claims desert-based differential discussion distinction distribution endorse Equality example faces fact follows forced free market freedom give given grounds hold incentive payments incomes independent individuals inequalities insofar institutional interference interpretation justice justify labour latter less libertarian liberty limited luck means Miller moral natural necessary notion Nozick objection obligations offer ofjustice one’s options Oxford particular people’s person possible principle of desert productive property rights question Rawls reap reasons refer reflect relevant requires respect responsibility result rewards rights-definition seems self-ownership sense Social society someone suggest theory threat true University Press voluntarily voluntariness