Justice, Institutions, and Luck: The Site, Ground, and Scope of Equality

by Kok-Chor Tan

Overview

Kok-Chor Tan addresses three key questions in egalitarian distributive justice: Where does distributive equality matter?; Why does it matter?; And among whom does it matter? He argues for an institutional site for egalitarian justice, and suggests that the mitigation of arbitrariness or luck is the basis for distributive commitments. He also argues that distributive obligations are global in scope, applying between individuals across borders. Tan's objectives are tripartite: to clarify the basis of an institutional approach to justice; to establish luck egalitarianism as an account of the ground of equality; and to realize the global nature of egalitarian justice. The outcome is 'institutional luck egalitarianism'—a new cosmopolitan position on distributive justice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199588855
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/30/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kok-Chor Tan is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. His previous publications include Toleration, Diversity, and Global Justice (2000), and Justice Without Borders (2004). Previous appointments include a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Queen's University, Canada, and a Faculty Fellowship at The Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements1. IntroductionPart I. Institutions2. Institutions and Justice3. Evading the Demands of JusticePart II. Luck4. Luck Egalitarianism: A Modest Account5. Defending Luck EgalitarianismPart III. Global Justice6. Global Institutions and Justice7. The Arbitrariness of Nationality8. Clarifications and ConclusionsBibliographyIndex

Editorial Reviews

"Tan's book is exceptionally clear, thoughtful, and innovative, and it should not be ignored by anyone interested in egalitarianism and distributive justice more generally." — Ethics

From the Publisher