Levelling the Playing Field

The Idea of Equal Opportunity and Its Place in Egalitarian Thought
Erscheinungsjahr 2006
ISBN: 978-0-19-926441-4
Verlag: OUP Oxford

Buch, Englisch, 256 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 540 g

"Equality of opportunity for all" is a fine piece of political rhetoric but the ideal that lies behind it is slippery to say the least. Some see it as an alternative to a more robust form of egalitarianism, whilst others think that when it is properly understood it provides us with a real radical vision of what it is to level the playing field. This book combines a meritocratic conception of equality of opportunity that governs access to advantaged social positions, with redistributive principles that seek to mitigate the effects of differences in people's circumstances. Taken together, these spell out what it is to level the playing field in the way that justice requires.

Oxford Political Theory presents the best new work in contemporary political theory. It is intended to be broad in scope, including original contributions to political philosophy, and also work in applied political theory. The series will contain works of outstanding quality with no restriction as to approach or subject matter.
Series Editors: Will Kymlicka, David Miller, and Alan Ryan

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mason, Andrew

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gewalt und Diskriminierung: Soziale Aspekte
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sozialphilosophie, Politische Philosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Ideologien Anarchismus
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- Introduction

- 1: The simple view

- 2: The desert of the best qualified

- 3: Rawlsian fair equality for opportunity

- 4: Counteracting circumstances

- 5: Equality, priority and sufficiency

- 6: Mitigating principles

- 7: A responsible egalitarianism

- 8: Individualism and personal responsibility

- Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Lecturer in Philosophy University of Reading, 1993-8
Lecturer in Politics, University of Hull, 1991-3
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Social Studies, University of Oxford, 1989-91
Lecturer in Moral Philosophy, University of St Andrews, 1987-8