Distributive Justice and Access to Advantage

G. A. Cohen was one of the world's leading political theorists. He was noted, in particular, for his contributions to the literature of egalitarian justice. Cohen's classic writings offer one of the most influential responses to the currency of the egalitarian justice question - the question, that is, of whether egalitarians should seek to equalize welfare, resources, opportunity, or some other indicator of well-being. Underlying Cohen's argument is the intuition that the purpose of egalitarianism is to eliminate disadvantage for which it is inappropriate to hold the person responsible. His argument therefore focuses on the appropriate role of considerations regarding responsibility in egalitarian judgment. This volume comprises chapters by major scholars addressing and responding both to Cohen's account of the currency of egalitarian justice and its practical implications and to Cohen's arguments regarding the appropriate form of justificatory arguments about justice. 'G. A. Cohen would have enjoyed this superb volume immensely, regardless of the fact that many of the contributors take him to task. The chapters exhibit the seriousness of purpose and quality of argument that characterized his own work.' Jon Elster, Robert K. Merton Professor of the Social Sciences, Columbia University 'G. A. Cohen was one of the greatest political philosophers of the twentieth century. Here his ideas on what constitutes justice, his critique of John Rawls' view of justice, and his conception of socialism, are subjected to the penetrating analysis that they deserve by a fine group of philosophers, advancing our understanding of these most important questions.' John E. Roemer, Elizabeth S. and A. Varick Stout Professor of Political Science and Economics, Yale UniversityIntroduction Alexander Kaufman; Part I. Justice and Justification: 1. The fundamental disagreement between luck egalitarians and relational egalitarians Elizabeth Anderson; 2. Justice, interpersonal morality, and luck egalitarianism Peter Vallentyne; 3. The egalitarian ethos as a social mechanism Joseph H. Carens; 4. Justice and the crooked wood of human nature Adam Cureton; 5. Facts, principles, and the Third Man Lea Ypi; Part II. Justice and Equality: 6. Equality and freedom: Cohen's critique of Sen Alexander Kaufman; 7. The incoherence of luck egalitarianism David Miller; 8. What is the point of egalitarian social relationships? Patrick Tomlin; 9. Basic equality and the currency of egalitarian justice Gabriel Wollner; Part III. Equality and Society: 10. Why not capitalism? Richard J. Arneson; 11. The labor theory of justice Chandran Kukathas; 12. Rescuing justice and equality from libertarianism Serena Olsaretti.