Relational Sufficientarianism and Frankfurt’s Objections to Equality

TY - JOUR

T1 - Relational Sufficientarianism and Frankfurt’s Objections to Equality

AU - Lippert-Rasmussen, Kasper

PY - 2021/3

Y1 - 2021/3

N2 - This article presents two rejoinders to Frankfurt’s arguments against egalitarianism. In developing the first, I introduce a novel relational view of justice: relational sufficiency. This is the view that justice requires us to relate to one another as people with sufficient, but not necessarily equal, standing. I argue that if Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality are sound, so are analogous objections to relational equality. However, in a range of cases involving comparative justice (punishment, equal pay, and family relations) we should be relational egalitarians, not relational sufficientarians, and that we must therefore reject Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality. The second rejoinder takes the form of a demonstration that all of Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality (and relational equality) are unsound. In effect, the article rehabilitates the ideal of distributive equality in the face of Frankfurt’s objections.

AB - This article presents two rejoinders to Frankfurt’s arguments against egalitarianism. In developing the first, I introduce a novel relational view of justice: relational sufficiency. This is the view that justice requires us to relate to one another as people with sufficient, but not necessarily equal, standing. I argue that if Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality are sound, so are analogous objections to relational equality. However, in a range of cases involving comparative justice (punishment, equal pay, and family relations) we should be relational egalitarians, not relational sufficientarians, and that we must therefore reject Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality. The second rejoinder takes the form of a demonstration that all of Frankfurt’s objections to distributive equality (and relational equality) are unsound. In effect, the article rehabilitates the ideal of distributive equality in the face of Frankfurt’s objections.

KW - Distributive egalitarianism

KW - Distributive justice

KW - Harry Frankfurt

KW - Relational egalitarianism

KW - Relational sufficientarianism

KW - Sufficientarianism

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088936430&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10892-020-09344-0

DO - 10.1007/s10892-020-09344-0

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85088936430

SN - 1382-4554

VL - 25

SP - 81

EP - 106

JO - Journal of Ethics

JF - Journal of Ethics

IS - 1

ER -