Equality on discount. Critical reflections on the political philosophy of Ronald Dworkin

  • Gustavo Arosemena Universidad de Maastricht
Keywords: Dworkin, Equality, Morality, Ethics, Liberalism

Abstract

The article presents a critique of the egalitarian political philosophy of Ronald Dworkin in light of two alternative conceptions of equality. First, in light of a political conception of equality based on the thoughts of Thomas Hobbes. Afterwards, in light of a “mystical” conception of equality based on the work of authors such as Elizabeth Anscombe and Bernard Williams. It is held that these conceptions of equality are stronger than the one presented by Dworkin and that together they leave little room for the liberal equality that Dworkin prefers. In the end, the article presents reflections on the importance of granting ethics a stronger role in grounding normative theories than the one given by Dworkin. Dworkin aims to create a relation of reciprocity and mutual accommodation between ethics and morality. In reality, ethics has primacy and what is to be sought is not to accommodate these two ideas but to fully derive morality from ethics.

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Author Biography

Gustavo Arosemena, Universidad de Maastricht

Doctor en Derecho (PhD) por la Universidad de Maastricht. Master en Leyes (LLM) por la Universidad de Utrecht y la Universidad de Texas en Austin. Licenciado en Derecho (Abogado de los Tribunales de la República del Ecuador) por la Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil. Docente, Departamento de Derecho International y Europeo, Universidad de Maastricht (Países Bajos). 

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Published
2016-05-12
How to Cite
Arosemena, G. (2016). Equality on discount. Critical reflections on the political philosophy of Ronald Dworkin. Ius Humani. Law Journal, 5, 105-131. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31207/ih.v5i0.79
Section
Papers

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