Introduction to Political Philosophy

Equality and Responsibility

As you read the material for the next class, keep the questions below in mind. To answer these questions you will have to reflect critically on what you have read and possibly re-read important passages. Keep in mind that there are two basic kinds of information that you need to look for in the readings.

  1. What are the main points or conclusions that an author accepts with respect to a particular issue?
  2. What are the reasons or important considerations that lead the author to accept that conclusion?

For our purposes, it is information of the latter sort (2) that will be our primary concern since our most basic task is to evaluate the reasons that are offered to support accepting one possible conclusion about an issue, rather than another. Although I strongly suggest that you write out brief answers to these questions, you do not have to turn in written responses. You do, however, need to be prepared to speak intelligently to these issues in the next class meeting.

Reading:

  • Ronald Dworkin, Sovereign Virtue, “Does Equality Matter?”, pp. 1-7 (handout).
  • Ronald Dworkin, Sovereign Virtue, “Justice, Insurance, and Luck”, pp. 320-325, 331-350 (handout).

Questions:

  1. What are the principles of equal importance and special responsibility? What does it mean for the government to regard each person’s life as equally importance? Do you think this is desirable?
  2. What is the insurance model and how is it related to these principles? How does it deal with problems related to the principle of special responsibility?
  3. Presumably the insurance model will generate inequalities. Is this a violation of the principle of equal importance?
  4. What is the severe insurance policy? How does Dworkin criticize it and does the argument apply to American welfare system? What policy does he recommend and why?
  5. What is the “rescue” approach? Does it better satisfy the principle of equal importance?
  6. How does Dworkin’s equality of resources avoid class distinctions?
  7. What type of taxation does Dworkin argue for? How is it justified?

 

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