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Mistakes and the continuity test

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  • Hugh Lazenby

    (Glasgow University, UK)

Abstract

In a series of recent articles, Matthew Clayton, Andrew Williams and Rasmus Sommer Hansen and Soren Flinch Midtgaard argue that a key virtue of Ronald Dworkin’s account of distributive justice, Equality of Resources, is that it provides a distribution that is continuous with the evaluations of the individuals whom it ranges over. The idea of continuity, or as Williams calls it the ‘continuity test’, limits distributive claims in at least one important way: one person cannot claim compensation from another when she does not believe she is worse off than him. In this article, I challenge whether an account of distributive justice should be continuous with the evaluations of the individuals whom it ranges over. My argument is that continuity competes with another consideration, namely, correctness. An account of distributive justice should track who actually is disadvantaged, not whether individuals believe they are disadvantaged. In addition, I offer an account of how we can get closer to a correct account of who is disadvantaged based on two sources of evidence.

Suggested Citation

  • Hugh Lazenby, 2016. "Mistakes and the continuity test," Politics, Philosophy & Economics, , vol. 15(2), pages 190-205, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pophec:v:15:y:2016:i:2:p:190-205
    DOI: 10.1177/1470594X15573462
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel Kahneman, 2003. "Maps of Bounded Rationality: Psychology for Behavioral Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1449-1475, December.
    2. Wilkinson, T. M., 2003. "Against Dworkin's Endorsement Constraint," Utilitas, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 175-193, July.
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