Fairness and equality are not the same thing

Thinking about equality is hampered by confusing fairness with equality. These words are not synonyms. Sometimes, inequality is unjust, but there are times when inequality is not only fair but also preferable to equality. Consider an example adapted from the work of political philosopher Robert Nozick.

Imagine a town of 1,000 persons, each of whom has an identical wealth of $10,000. One citizen-a much-admired singer called Elvis-decides to stage a concert. Tickets cost $100. Attendance is a matter of choice, but everyone in the town loves Elvis and is happy to pay to hear him sing.

The audience considered the concert a great success. After the show, the town, which once had perfect wealth equality, now has massive inequality. Elvis is not only a better singer than everyone else in town, but he is more than ten times richer. Since the town residents voluntarily exchanged their money for concert tickets, it is difficult to see in what way the town's unequal distribution of wealth is unfair.

To return the town to equal wealth, the government could tax Elvis' earnings at confiscatory levels and return the money to the townspeople. Elvis would not be happy. He gave a great concert, and he did not force anyone to buy a ticket. If Elvis knew he would not get to keep the money he earned, he would surely think twice before staging another concert. He might choose not to sing again, which would greatly diminish the quality of life in an Elvis-loving town.

Similar contingencies apply across society. The clever creators of computer games, life-saving drugs, and new housing developments may be fabulously wealthy. Still, their cleverness benefits everyone, including those at the bottom of the economic ladder.

Don't get me wrong; I know many people are struggling. In a decent society, it is right to expect the wealthy to contribute to the welfare of the community by paying higher than average taxes. It is also fair and just to provide everyone with an equal opportunity to better themselves. A social safety net, high-quality education, and health care provide a necessary foundation for fulfilling lives. But engineering equal life outcomes is neither achievable nor desirable; it isn't even fair.