In theory and practice, the notion of fairness is far from
simple. The principle is often elusive and subject to confusion,
even in institutions of law, usage, and custom. In Fairness,
Nicholas Rescher aims to liberate this concept from
misunderstandings by showing how its definitive characteristics
prevent it from being absorbed by such related conceptions as
paternalistic benevolence, radical egalitarianism, and social
harmonization. Rescher demonstrates that equality before the state
is an instrument of justice, not of social utility or public
welfare, and argues that the notion of fairness stops well short of
a literal egalitarianism.
Rescher disposes of the confusions arising from economists'
penchant to focus on individual preferences, from decision
theorists' concern for averting envy, and from political theorists'
sympathy for egalitarianism. In their place he shows how the idea
of distributive equity forms the core of the concept of fairness in
matters of distributive justice. The coordination of shares with
valid claims is the crux of the concept of fairness. In Rescher's
view, this means that the pursuit of fairness requires objective
rather than subjective evaluation of the goods being shared. This
is something quite different from subjective equity based on the
personal evaluation of goods by those laying claim to them. Insofar
as subjective equity is a concern, the appropriate procedure for
its realization is a process of maximum value distribution.
Further, Rescher demonstrates that in matters of distributive
justice, the distinction between new ownership and preexisting
ownership is pivotal and calls for proceeding on very different
principles depending on the case. How one should proceed depends on
context, and what is adjudged fair is pragmatic, in that there are
different requirements for effectiveness in achieving the aims and
purposes of the sort of distribution that is intended.
Rescher concludes that fairness is a fundamentally ethical
concept. Its distinctive modus operandi contrasts sharply with the
aims of paternalism, preference-maximizing, or economic advantage.
Fairness will be of interest to philosophers, economists, and
political scientists.
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