Egalitarianism is a philosophical belief that all human beings are equal and receive equal treatment (BEDAU, 2017). This philosophy was created in the 16 th and 17 th centuries as governmental authorities began to be structured. The United States Declaration of Independence, which was structured in 1776, acts as one of the earliest example of egalitarianism. Based on this definition, a question can be established on what things can be distributed equally. Given that some distinctions and inequalities cannot be avoided and are justified, an abstract cardinal good has to be established. Whatever cardinal good that has to be equally distributed, it is clear that this level of equality is reliant on the differences between choice along with social conditions. The level of stress that is placed on the difference between choice and circumstances exposes a significant limitation of the conception of social justice within this philosophical perspective.
Egalitarianism aims to ensure that fairness and equality are attained through tools such as law and public policy (Bedau, 2017). In this way, every individual in society gets the same benefits, such as the same healthcare, the same education, and the same internet access. In this way, egalitarians believe that the government should ensure that all individuals have the same wealth. This type of belief indicates that there would then be no regard for personal autonomy if the perspective was applied. As the life of every individual will be treated as having equal importance, the individual value will cease to exist. This is because every time an individual achieves things that are beyond what others have been able to accomplish, they must give it up for equal distribution to take place. This means that individuals have no choice in their success or failure. Hence, egalitarianism, in its belief of total equality, is severely restricted.
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References
Bedau, H. A. (2017). Egalitarianism and the Idea of Equality. In Equality (pp. 3-27). Routledge.
