Weigh in on the various definitions of equality (fundamental equality, social equality, equal treatment for equals, equal treatment for equals and unequal treatment for unequals): which of these accounts best expresses your own understanding of equality? Why? Bring this definition of equality to bear on Ronald Dworkin’s conception of the best way, politically speaking, to respect and uphold human rights.
The American philosopher, John Rawls (1921-2002), advanced an influential view of “justice as fairness.” Assess his argument for his version of egalitarian liberalism: what is included in his account of justice and what sorts of rights do people have in society? Do you agree with this kind of liberalism, or do you think it falls short in bringing about the kind of just and fair society Rawls envisions? Finally, explain and evaluate the communitarian (be careful not to confuse communitarianism with communism) critique of Rawls’s atomistic, abstract individualism.
