complex equality
{{Short description|Michael Walzer}}
Complex equality is a theory of justice outlined by Michael Walzer in his 1983 work Spheres of Justice. It is considered innovative because of its emphasis on the broader conceptualization of distribution, which covers not only tangible goods but also abstract goods such as rights.{{Cite book|title=Complex equality and the Court of Justice of the European Union: Reconciling Diversity and Harmonization|last=Lang|first=Richard|publisher=BRILL|year=2018|isbn=9789004299993|location=Leiden|pages=22}} The theory is distinguished from simple equality since it allows certain inequalities in social goods.{{Cite book|title=Contemporary Political Theory: A Reader|last=Farrelly|first=Colin|publisher=SAGE Publications Ltd.|year=2004|isbn=0761949070|location=London|pages=109}}
Theory
The theory posits that inequalities in several spheres of society should not invade one another.{{sfn|Browning|1997|p=142}} Walzer's definition of complex equality is: "In formal terms, complex equality means that no citizen's standing in one sphere or with regard to one social good can be undercut by his standing in some other sphere, with regard to some other good."{{sfn|Walzer|1983|p=19}} In this state of affairs, there are variety of goods and these are distributed according to the appropriate principles that are inherent in their social meanings.{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Global Justice: A - I|last=Chatterjee|first=Deen|publisher=Springer Science+Business Media|year=2011|isbn=9781402091599|location=Dordrecht|pages=177}} The idea is that the resulting multiple inequalities that consistently do not favor any group serve as the equalizer. A reading of Waltzer's notion is that it is culturally relative.{{Cite book|title=Pragmatism in International Relations|last1=Bauer|first1=Harry|last2=Brighi|first2=Elisabetta|publisher=Routledge|year=2009|isbn=978-0203885093|location=Oxon|pages=162}} For instance, in the case of a caste society, complex equality is characterized by the integration of meanings attached to goods in all spheres, effectively subjecting prestige, wealth, office, occupation, clothing, food, and knowledge to the same hierarchy. __NOTOC__
See also
References
{{reflist|22em}}
=Bibliography=
{{refbegin|35em|indent=yes}}
- {{cite book
|last=Browning
|first=Gary K.
|year=1997
|chapter=Concepts and Issues
|editor1-last=Axford
|editor1-first=Barrie
|editor2-last=Browning
|editor2-first=Gary K.
|editor3-last=Huggins
|editor3-first=Richard
|editor4-last=Rosamond
|editor4-first=Ben
|editor5-last=Turner
|editor5-first=John
|title=Politics: An Introduction
|edition=1st
|location=London
|publisher=Routledge
|publication-date=2005
|isbn=978-0-203-97825-2
}}
- {{cite book
|last=Walzer
|first=Michael
|author-link=Michael Walzer
|year=1983
|title=Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality
|location=New York
|publisher=Basic Books
|publication-date=2008
|isbn=978-0-7867-2439-0
}}
{{refend}}
Further reading
{{refbegin|35em|indent=yes}}
- {{cite journal
|last=Arneson
|first=Richard J.
|author-link=Richard Arneson
|year=1990
|title=Against 'Complex Equality'
|journal=Public Affairs Quarterly
|volume=4
|issue=2
|pages=99–110
|jstor=40435740
|issn=2152-0542
}}
- {{cite journal
|last=Hooghe
|first=Marc
|year=1999
|title=The Notion of Complex Equality and the Beauty of Alcibiades
|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/34274967.pdf
|journal=Ethical Perspectives
|volume=6
|issue=3/4
|pages=211–214
|doi=10.2143/EP.6.3.505343
|issn=1370-0049
|access-date=30 October 2018
}}
- {{cite book
|last=Miller
|first=David
|author-link=David Miller (political theorist)
|year=1995
|chapter=Complex Equality
|editor1-last=Miller
|editor1-first=David
|editor1-link=David Miller (political theorist)
|editor2-last=Walzer
|editor2-first=Michael
|editor2-link=Michael Walzer
|title=Pluralism, Justice, and Equality
|location=Oxford
|publisher=Oxford University Press
|pages=197–225
|doi=10.1093/0198280084.003.0010
|isbn=978-0-19-828008-8
}}
{{refend}}
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