Question

Should we equalize income for all Americans? Explain the utilitarian and Rawlsian arguments for egalitarian social policies.

Answer 1

No, income of all Americans should not be equalized. People should be paid according to the work they do and the abilities they have. If income of everyone is equalized then no one will work to innovate and discover new things. There will be no efforts for developing of new skills and abilities and society will be stuck at one level of growth only.

Egalitarian social policies are such which aim at reducing discrimination in the society and giving equal status to all. These policies aim at having just to all and not being unfair.

Utilitarian doesn't work to provide equal status to all but the purpose of this is that no one should be harmed in the society by anyone's actions and all actions should be done to spread happiness and generosity. It also wants to remove unfair practices and actions which might harm some people.

Rawlsian also doesn't focus on giving equal status and equal distribution of goods in the society but the aim of this is to provide justice to all in the form of rights and liberties in the society.

So utilitarian and rawlsian work somewhere to achieve some of the goals of egalitarian social policies.