On (un)just economic inequalities

Richard Kowalski

Village and Agriculture (Wieś i Rolnictwo), 2023, vol. 198, issue 01

Abstract: Some economists are committed to the idea that we, as a society, are not responsible for the economic inequalities that arise from the innumerable independent market decisions made by autonomous individuals pursuing their own interests. Economists are also committed to the vision of the market as a mechanism for rewarding the talented and the hard-working. As this paper has attempted to show, these two views of the effects of our market activity raise serious ethical concerns. A society with the legislative will is responsible for inequality. The idea of ​​rewarding talent and effort leads to unjust economic inequalities. The myth of meritocracy that functions in society entails the erosion of collectivity, the degradation of the common good, and the sense of responsibility for others, especially for those who are less fortunate, while at the same time reinforcing economic inequality.

Keywords: Public; Economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:polvaa:344822

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.344822

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