EQUALITY VERSUS PRIORITY: A USEFUL DISTINCTION

John Broome

Economics and Philosophy, 2015, vol. 31, issue 2, 219-228

Abstract: Both egalitarianism and prioritarianism give value to equality. Prioritarianism has an additively separable value function whereas egalitarianism does not. I show that in some cases prioritarianism and egalitarianism necessarily have different implications: I describe two alternatives G and H such that egalitarianism necessarily implies G is better than H whereas prioritarianism necessarily implies G and H are equally good. I also raise a doubt about the intelligibility of prioritarianism.

Date: 2015
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